


The Strange Case of Dr. Solo and Mr. Ren

by fear_of_being_bitten



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: "so deliciously sinful", ANONAPRIL, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Anal, Anal Fingering, Anal Play, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Anon April, Bendemption, Both but not at same time, But you know what's gonna happen, Cat and Mouse, Consent, Darkfic lite, Dirty Talk, Drunk Driving, Duality of Man, F/M, Fantasy Breylo, Frottage, Good Boy, Good and Evil, Gothic, Guilty Pleasures, Hiding, Jekyll and Hyde, Longing, Masturbation, Mention of self harm attempt chapter 15, Mild mention of potential self harm chapter 14-15, Mildly Dubious Consent, Morning Cuddles, Mutual Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Mystery, Only in fanfic could these tags be in this order lmao, Oral Sex, POV Rey (Star Wars), Psychological Drama, Scary, Seduction, Sexual Fantasy, Sexual Repression, Sexy psychopath, She wants it but shouldn't, Sleepy Cuddles, Strong Rey, Suspense, Taboo, Temptation, Thunderstorms, a carriage, alcoholism reference, bad boy, canon compliant death, chase - Freeform, darker themes, emergence of a plot!, imaginary threesome, plot ahoy!, tags will update, where are you angst? oh wait there you are, whoring and carousing, worry of self harm (but okay) just angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 15:02:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 28,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18390785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fear_of_being_bitten/pseuds/fear_of_being_bitten
Summary: Orphan Rey Jackson is sent to Solo Manor as the new chambermaid for the gentle physician Dr. Benjamin Solo.  In the middle of the night, she discovers a terrifying visitor who whispers that he "just wants to play" with her.As she grows closer to the sweet and shy Dr. Ben Solo, Rey seeks to uncover the mystery of nocturnal guest Mr. Kylo Ren, whose wicked allure is so unlike that of her kind master, yet darkly tempting all the same.A Jekyll & Hyde AU.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [succubusybody](https://archiveofourown.org/users/succubusybody/gifts).



> Thank you for creating Reylo #Anon April, Succubusybody. Hope you enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> “There was something strange in my sensations, indescribably new and incredibly sweet. I knew myself, at the first breath of this new life, to be tenfold more wicked and the thought delighted me like wine.” 
> 
> ― Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The rattle of the heavy front door slamming woke me with a start.  

 

I sat up in bed and clutched the thin wool blanket to my chest.  My chambers were as yet too new for me to find my bearings without light.  I rubbed my eyes.  What hour was it?  My room was still dark and I had no clock.  It must be far too late for visitors and far too early for the morning deliveries.  Whoever would enter Solo Manor this late in the evening?  I was new to my post, but surely this was not the normal manner of business.  Dr. Solo was a well-regarded physician and his good name was well-known in town.

 

Something did not feel right.  I pulled back the covers with great hesitation, the trembling of my hands not due to the cold alone.  I lit a candlestick. My meager belongings were few and I had no robe to cover my thin nightdress, so I wrapped the wool blanket around my shoulders and crept to my chamber’s door.  Throwing my long braid over one shoulder, I pressed an ear to the wood to listen for any sounds from downstairs.

 

Nothing. No voices or boards creaking, so whoever it was did not make it past the first floor of the manor. My ears strained to hear any sound at all.

 

I may be a chambermaid, but I’m not a fool.  Despite my many strengths of character, of which loyalty, resourcefulness, and honesty were counted, I also possessed a number of qualities considered weaknesses in a woman of my day.  My curiosity, strength of will, and great stubbornness were labelled undesirable personality defects. Mr. Plutt said many times in the children’s home that those flaws would prove my downfall.  He may very well have been correct, although may he rot in Hell, regardless.

 

So either by my fault of curiosity or willfulness, it was without hesitation that I unlatched my chamber door and stepped out into the hall with only a candlestick and blanket for protection.  My bare feet tiptoed across the floorboards until I reached the banister to peer down into the open stairwell.  I held my breath as I stared down into velvet darkness on the main level and listened for any sounds. Heartbeat drumming in my chest, I blinked my eyes wider and waited.

 

 _There._  A noise, perhaps a hoarse breath or sigh.  There was someone downstairs after all, it was not my imagination.

 

I stood holding my candle feebly and peered down into the enveloping darkness.  A bottle was opened and a clink of glass on glass. Then suddenly a harsh curse and a shatter of glass hitting stone, which startled me.  I flinched and must’ve made a sound, because all of a sudden a pair of dark eyes emerged from down below and stared up at me. The moonlight hit them in such a way that they glowed a spooky yellow like fireflies in the night.

 

A patrician voice rumbled up to me laced with menace, “Like what you see, my little one?”

 

I jumped back from the railing, pulse throbbing in my neck.  I turned and ran back to my room as soon as I heard the sound of heavy footfalls racing up the stairs behind me.  Latching my door securely with trembling hands, I took a few stumbling steps backward and clutched my candlestick in fear.

 

The heavy footsteps stopped directly in front of my door.  The handle rattled and I backed up until the bed frame struck my thighs.  I heard his heavy breath just on the other side of the door.  The wood creaked as if a heavy body was pressing it inwards.

 

The same deep voice said, “I can smell you, I know you’re in there.  Open the door and let me inside.”

 

I placed a hand over my mouth to muffle a whimper of fear.  My eyes darted around the room, still new and unfamiliar. I had only a small window and a closet, no means of escape if the door should not hold.

 

“I promise I won’t hurt you.  I want to make friends.  Let me inside.”

 

My hands began to tremble as I stepped back around the edge of the bed until my back hit the wall, tears beading in my eyes.

 

The door creaked and the stranger whispered, _“I only want to play with you.”_

 

A chill crawled up my spine.  I closed my eyes as the first tears broke free from my lashes, praying for deliverance from whoever or whatever was on the other side.  Where was Dr. Solo?  Would he hear if I screamed?  Would he save me?

 

The figure on the other side of the door laughed darkly as if he could hear my unspoken prayer.  I felt his dark humor course through me like a shiver.

 

“Another night then, sweetness.  Sleep _well_.”

 

I stood for several minutes panting until I was sure he was gone.

 

I blew out the candle and drew open my drapes so the pale moonlight poured into my room.  Curling up in my bed in a tight ball, my eyes stayed open for hours until the first light of dawn crested the tower of London in the far distance.  The inevitable animal pull of fatigue overcame my mortal fears and I fell into a restless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhat period appropriate for Victorian Era, but only when it suits me. Please don't hold me to it!
> 
> Meet Dr. Solo.

I awoke the next morning with a light rapping on my chamber door.  Heavy fatigue pressed me heavy to the mattress, yet the sunlight coursing through my open window was a relief now that the terror of the night was over.

 

“Rey!” a voice whispered outside my door, one of the Tico girls who worked in the kitchen.  “Rey, wake up!  Master is needing his tea!”

 

“I’m coming,” I called as I sprung up.  I quickly pulled on my stockings, skirt and high-necked blouse and tucked my hair into three tidy buns.  I tied on my freshly-pressed linen apron before lacing up my heeled boots.

 

I followed Rose, the younger Tico sister, back down through the servants’ stairwell that led directly to the kitchen.  She was cheerful and lighthearted and was the most welcoming member of the Solo Manor when I arrived. I hoped she would be a friend.

 

A strange instinct compelled me to make no mention of the terrifying late-night guest.  I suppose part of me hoped it was a phantom of my imagination. I pushed all thought of it from my mind as Rose chattered on brightly about the day and about the porter she secretly admired.

 

“Finn Johnson, what a distinguished name!”  Rose grinned brightly. “Mrs. Rose Johnson, it has a ring to it, don’t you think?”

 

I giggled back at her sauciness, secretly delighted that she was neither a prude nor a puritan.  I liked a woman who could speak her mind freely, and I felt an instant kinship.

 

We arrived in the kitchens to a flurry of activity.  The old cook, Maz, was standing over a pan frying up bacon on the long cast-iron stove.  Rose’s older sister Paige was already chopping vegetables for the soup for lunch as porters carried in crates of fresh milk and eggs to stack near the pantry.

 

Rose leaned close to me and whispered, “There he is!”  I looked up to see the twinkling dark brown eyes of Mr. Johnson staring up at us with a merry smile.  He tipped his cap in greeting and said, “Good morning, ladies!  I do hope it is a lovely one!” Rose tittered and said, “Indeed, Mr. Johnson, same to you!”

 

Maz interrupted us.  “Rey! Hurry, child, the master should be waking!”

 

I scurried over to the large table in the center of the kitchen and started setting up his breakfast tray as Maz had instructed.  First, a fresh flower in a tiny vase picked from the gardens out back that morning. Then, the early edition of _The Times,_ carried in each morning from the stoop by Maz as she arrived.  Paige retrieved two soft-boiled eggs placed in blue glass cups as I picked out the fresh napkin and fork, spoon, and knife.  Maz prepared the bowl of Scottish Oats, brought in from the Isle of Skye, and sprinkled them with brown cane sugar and a shot of brandy.  A fresh muffin and bacon were set on a side plate and then the tea was poured and a small pot set aside it. Now I was ready to the serve the master his breakfast.

 

“Rose, go today and open the door for Rey.  Tomorrow she’ll do it by herself,” Maz instructed.

 

I nodded and lifted the heavy tray.  My arms were strong so I had no fear, but I focused on each footstep as to not trip or spill the tea.

 

Rose and I walked up the main stairs, which were much wider and cut through the main foyer up to the second level.  The same stairs where I looked down upon the chilling stranger from last night. I felt a coldness as I walked up them, as if I stepped out of the bright day’s sun and into a shadow.  I swallowed it down and followed Rose.

 

I had not as yet met the master alone, being still new to the manor.  Maz had introduced me briefly the day before as he sat reading in his study.  I could scarcely see him beyond the wings of his armchair, just a single hand lifting and a low voice muttering, “welcome” as he read a book.  I had not had occasion to see or speak to him since, nor had I got a good look at the man for whom I now worked.

 

“Is the master good-natured, Rose?  Will he be cross?” I whispered urgently as we made our way across the landing.

 

“Oh, he’s a kind man.  You’ll scarcely hear him speak, his nose is most often in a book,” she replied.  Her surety comforted me.

 

We came to a stop before his door, and Rose turned to me.  “Remember, deliver the tray to his bedside table and draw the curtains.  His robe should be hanging inside the wardrobe.  Set it and the slippers on the bed, then bid him good morning and leave.”

 

I nodded, pressing my lips together as she opened the door for me.  I met her eyes and she flashed me a smile which I did my best to return, despite my nerves.

 

Stepping into the darkened room, I heard the door close softly behind me.  My eyes adjusted to the low light. The room had high vaulted ceilings and to my left were three large windows with French doors that faced the front of the house.  The curtains were drawn tight, yet the early morning light attempted valiantly to slip around the edges.

 

The large four-poster bed along the back wall had a pointed canopy draped in dark red velvet.  It was opulent and ornate, with twisting columns of dark mahogany and various animals and designs carved into the headboard.  A large bureau and wardrobe stood on the far wall by a standing mirror that led to the private master bath, the door of which was open.  

 

In the center of the bed was the sleeping figure of my new master, Dr. Benjamin Solo.

 

I slowly walked forward until I reached the bedside table.  My stomach bubbled with nerves, my back rigid as I carefully lowered the tray, careful not to spill a drop of tea.  Then I turned to the bed and smoothed down my apron with my hands as I caught my first close glimpse of my master.

 

What I saw made me hold my breath.

 

His bed linens had fallen down to his waist, as if he grew restless in his sleep and wrestled free of them.  Lying on his stomach, face pressed into the pillow, I could only see the bare skin of his wide back.  My eyes tracked over the expanse of smooth, pale skin, stretched taut over his dense and refined musculature.  His arms were bent and tucked under his pillow, hands hidden away from sight, so that the swell of his shoulders and biceps was made most evident.  His chest expanded with each slow breath, like a bellows, and I noticed a sprinkling of moles peppering his skin.  

 

A heat rose from my chest to my cheeks and I felt a low stirring in my stomach.  What type of face matched a body so large and strong?  His raven-black hair was long and tossed over his pillow in soft waves that obscured his features.  I craned my neck side to side to try to pick out any details, but to no avail.  I steadied my breath and remembered myself and my duty.

 

I crossed quiet as a breeze to the windows and drew back the curtains to let in the light.  Then I opened the wardrobe with a slight creak to find his robe and slippers and placed them at the edge of the bed.  Returning to my position by the tray, I stood with my hands clasped in front of my waist as I steadied my heartbeat and my voice.

 

“Sir?  Good morning, sir?”  I cleared my throat. “I’ve brought your breakfast.”

 

My master stirred and sighed in bed, then stretched his arms forward like cat.  I watched, mesmerized, as the muscles in his back danced and jumped at the movement of him elongating his strong body.  The heat in my cheeks rose to a burn, and I looked down quickly.   _Oh, my._

 

I peeked up to see him toss his hair back from his brow and open a lazy eye to regard me.  It was the same color as the aged brandy Maz kept downstairs in the kitchen.  He blinked languidly at me, and I froze under his scrutiny.

 

“And who are you?”  he asked in a deep and sleep-soaked voice, but not unkindly.

 

“Rey Jackson, sir.  I’m the new chambermaid.”

 

He rolled over on his side to reveal his bare chest.  It was every bit as well-crafted as his back, and it stunned me into a stupor.  I turned my gaze away quickly and cleared my throat as I looked down.

 

“Ah, yes.  I remember now.  Maz introduced you.”  I saw him sit up from the corner of my eye.  I kept my gaze averted modestly and smiled at the floor, both shy and slightly scandalized at his nudity.  He seemed unconcerned with my reaction as he swiped his hand across his face.

 

“Sir, would you like your dressing gown?”  I asked in a thin voice.

 

He gave a soft chuckle.  “Yes, thank you, Rey,” he replied, and I reached over to pick it up for him.  As I handed it over, I dared lift my eyes to see his face directly for the first time.

 

My master’s features were unusual and striking.  A long, prominent nose was centered below a strong brow and beneath two piercing, deep-amber eyes.  He had high cheekbones and a defined jaw, but a set of shockingly plush lips. There was a haunted expression to his eyes, a glint of sadness or perhaps deep understanding, that gave his strong features an air of softness.  It was a unique and intoxicating combination of disparate qualities.  I had to rip my gaze away to maintain propriety.

 

Dr. Solo slipped on his robe then threw back the covers to reveal high-waisted sleep pants.  He stood to wrap the ties of his robe. He was indeed a massive man, towering over me by almost a foot and twice as wide, it seemed.  I took a step back and looked down demurely as he reached for his glasses on the table beside him.

 

“Will you be needing anything else, sir?”  I asked, glancing up again meekly.

 

“No, this is lovely.  Thank you, Rey.”  With his glasses in place, he seemed more reserved, the mask of appearances back firmly in place.  He gave me a closed-mouthed smile and I nodded and made a small curtsy as I began a hasty retreat to his door.  As my hand touched the handle, Dr. Solo called out to me and I turned.

 

“It was very nice meeting you, Rey.”

 

“Yes, sir.  The same,” I replied with a small smile.

 

I hurriedly stepped outside of his room and closed the door behind me.  Pressing my back into it, I exhaled as a huge grin blossomed over my face.  I looked nervously around the hallway to see if anyone had caught my expression.  

 

Dr. Benjamin Solo was indeed a fascinating man.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to try to update as fast as the muse will allow. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the moodsetting before the games begin!

My life soon fell into a rhythm at Solo Manor.

 

Upon waking, I joined the Tico sisters and Maz in the kitchen, chatting and laughing as they prepared the meals for the day, and I, the breakfast tray for my master.  After waking Dr. Solo, I would dust and tidy the rooms of the manor by schedule.  I didn’t mind the chores, all alone with my thoughts as my hands worked.  Solitude was a familiar friend to me.

 

One room of the manor was strictly prohibited unless Dr. Solo was within.  His study was his private domain, and I was only allowed access once a week or so to dust and sweep.  My master sat reading a book in the leather wingback chair by the window while I cleaned.  As I scrubbed the soot from the hearth stones on my hands and knees, I glanced over my shoulder from time to time only to catch him watching me.  Dr. Solo shifted in his chair and quickly turned to his book without a word.  The back of my neck heated each time.

 

Dr. Solo took his lunch either in his study or at his club in town, so my afternoons were spent either in the kitchen with the girls or doing the laundry and linens.  Rose would help me scrub and hang the wet clothes to dry on the line in the courtyard, and we fell into a fast friendship. She spent many hours daydreaming aloud about her fancy for her favorite porter, Finn.  My mind would wander to the burnt amber eyes of Dr. Solo, both kind yet full of mystery.

 

After serving dinner and cleaning the kitchen, the staff returned to their quarters and Maz left to go home for the evening.  The Tico sisters boarded over the carriage house and returned to their family on the weekends. I had the small room above the stairs and no family or relations in the world to visit.  Each night, I would latch my door tightly and make sure I had a cup of water and a chamberpot so I had no reason to leave.

 

Days passed, then a fortnight, and the strange nocturnal visitor did not return.  I had almost convinced myself he was nothing more than a walking nightmare, or a phantom of my imagination.  

 

_Almost._

 

_+++_

 

At the start of my third week at the Manor, I carried the tray upstairs to wake Dr. Solo as usual.

 

He lay sprawled out on his chest, long arms spanning the width of his bed.  I set the tray down quietly and hesitated in waking him as I stood watching for a bit.  He looked so peaceful that I hated to disturb him.  There was a gracefulness to his limbs even as he dreamt, like an angel from one of the Italian paintings that hung downstairs.

 

The deep valley of muscle along his spine shifted as he breathed.  It made my own breath quicken.

 

Finally taking hold of myself, I attempted to rouse him.  “Sir?  Good morning, Sir,” I whispered. I stepped closer to the bed but he made no movement.  “I’ve brought your breakfast.”

 

He made no move to turn, so I went to the windows and drew back the curtains to let in the daylight.  I returned to his bedside and again attempted to wake him, to no avail.

 

Unsure of what to do, I sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed.  “Sir?” I said again, and this time I reached out a tentative hand to rest on the swell of his bare shoulder.  He was so warm under the touch of my palm that I feared he had caught a fever.

 

Quick as lightning, he rolled onto his side and seized my wrist, yanking me to him.  I squeaked and fell forward, my other palm planting on his chest to arrest my fall as he gripped me tightly.  My eyes flew wide in surprise as I met his own half-wild eyes peering up at me from his mess of raven locks.

 

My chest heaved before he came back to himself.  “Oh, Rey, it’s you,” His firm grip on my wrist lessened but he didn’t drop his touch.  “I’m sorry, I was dreaming.”

 

I was so shocked all I could do was stare.  I had never seen him so close and in such a fit of emotion.  His features were cast in intense alarm, dark and intense, but soon eased into the gentle and controlled visage I had come to know.  Struggling to find the words, I became aware of my hand pressing into his bare chest. I shrank back. “I’m sorry, Sir, I should not have startled you.”

 

His eyes were kind.  “No, Rey, the error is mine.”  He released my wrist and I sat back as he raked a hand through his hair.  I thought I saw regret tint his expression as he looked down at the bed. “I should not have acted in such a manner.  Please forgive me.”

 

Something in honest apology tugged at my heart.  “Nothing to forgive, Sir. I startled you, it was a natural reaction.”  I stood and smoothed out my apron, smiling softly at him. “I should not have . . . touched you.”  I clasped my hands in front of my waist, and although I felt butterflies in my stomach, willed my spine to stiffen.

 

“You are quite forgiving.  Still, I should not have scared you.”  He lifted his chin and the morning light doused his open and genuine face in a warm glow.  I could not help but respond in the same unguarded fashion.

 

“You don’t frighten me,” I said, bravely meeting his eyes.  “Sir.”

 

His smile deepened and yet the moment passed.  I set out his dressing gown and slippers before  hurrying from the room with an added lightness to my step.  Dr. Solo stayed ensconced in his study for the rest of the day, not even breaking for dinner.  Still, I felt we had moved closer to a friendship.

 

+++

 

Long past sundown that evening, I stood in my nightdress and brushed out my long hair, fifty strokes a day for shine and health.  I heard the master’s door open from down the hall. Curiosity bubbled up, and I hurried to my door to listen.

 

I bent down to press my a palms to the door the look out the keyhole.  The hallway was illuminated only by candlelight. I saw Dr. Solo emerge from the shadows and stop at the top of the stairs, fully-dressed in a coat and top hat.  He swayed on his feet and reached a shaking hand out to clutch the banister as his other hand shot to his stomach. His handsome face grimaced in pain.

 

_Oh, no, was he sick, as I had feared that morning?_

 

Without thought of propriety or hesitation, I unlatched my door and rushed over to him as he cowered in pain.  “Sir! Sir, are you all right?”

 

He turned to me in pain.  “Rey! What are you doing here?”

 

“I heard you, Sir, you need help!  Shall I fetch a doctor?”

 

Hissing through his teeth, he shook his head adamantly.  “No, no. Please. Can you help me?”

 

The steel that lay inside my bones felt as if it was hardening.  He needed me. “Of course, anything.”

 

My tone caught his attention.  He looked at me directly, as if waking from a dream.  “Thank you, Rey. Can you help down to my study?”

 

Under normal circumstances, me assisting him, as tall and solid as house, would be laughable.  But tonight, I wrapped my arms around his waist and he looped an arm over my shoulder as we slowly stepped down the stairs.  

 

He was burning hot where he touched me and smelled of bergamot and cloves.  His touch was not unwelcome, the physical connection a comfort that I sorely lacked in my daily life.  I held him fast as we carefully made our way to his study, and he collapsed into the chair at his desk.

 

Dr. Solo pulled open a drawer and retrieved a small leather pouch with various colored bottles of liquids.  “Please, fetch me a glass,” he asked in a tight voice, and I hurried to the bar across the room to comply.

 

He poured out small amounts of the liquids, mixing them into a tonic.  My heart sunk as I watched his hands tremble. He was indeed ill, my poor master, but with what affliction?

 

Dr. Solo downed the liquid and then leaned back in his chair closing his eyes as a single thick finger loosened the collar of his shirt.  He sighed, as if weary. I stood by his side and waited.

 

After a few moments he opened his eyes and turned to me.  His eyes looked glazed. For the first time, he seemed to notice my indecent appearance, hair loose and only a thin, white nightdress covering my modesty.  His eyes dropped down to my bare feet and then rose slowly like smoke back up to my face.

 

“Rey, what do you know of sin?”  Dr. Solo asked. His deep voice vibrated in his chest and reminded me of a locomotive on the tracks.

 

“Only what I’ve learned in church: to avoid it,” I answered, perhaps more flippantly than was proper.

 

“It’s not spoken about often outside of church, yet understanding the nature of sin is very important to living a life of morality.”

 

I nodded, not having much to offer to the conversation.  I found my own moral compass was more self-directed than most other girls in my station of life, but found it wise to keep such thoughts to myself.

 

He looked past me to the far wall as he spoke.  “We are all complex creatures, with both light and dark sides, each containing the essential duality of mankind.  Ever since Eve with the apple and the serpent, we’ve known the capability of man to either fall into temptation or to seek out the light.”

 

My brow crinkled at his thoughts and what was inspiring them.  Did he find me sinful? His eyes darted back to me, tracking up my body before rising to my face, and I began to wonder if there was a subtext I was not following.  

 

“Have you read Milton?   _Paradise Lost_?”

 

I shook my head, ashamed that I was not very learned.  Plutt preferred the children in his care to spend their time providing value to him, not absorbing knowledge.  

 

“Here, I have a copy.  You may find it as fascinating as I do.”  Dr. Solo stood from his chair with effort and crossed to the bookshelf.  He handed a book to me and then held my wrist lightly as I looked up into his eyes.

 

His expression burned with an urgency.  “Rey, whatever noise you may hear tonight, do not come out of your chambers.  No matter what, keep the door bolted. You must promise me this.”

 

My jaw dropped in concern.  “Yes, Sir.”

 

“Promise me, Rey.”  A strange current ran through his words.  

 

I nodded, wishing to please him.  “I promise, Dr. Solo.”

 

He pressed his lips together and let go of my wrist.  “I must go out now, I’m meeting a . . . friend.”

 

“At this hour?”  I couldn’t help my surprised exclamation.  

 

“Yes, he’s only available at night.”

 

“Will you be all right now, Sir?”  I asked with concern. His color had returned to his cheeks and his eyes grew brighter.

 

“I shall be as right as I deserve to be,” he said darkly as he turned away.  “Do not spend your care on me.”

 

I frowned at his sudden change of mood, but when he said nothing else I curtsied and left with the book.

 

Half-way up the stairs, his voice called out below me in the foyer.  “Remember, Rey, no matter what, do not leave your chambers.”

 

I turned back to him and replied, “I shall remember.”

 

And with that he tipped his hat to me and left the manor, closing the heavy door behind him, leaving me in the dark and in confusion.

  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes.
> 
>  
> 
> Quotes and descriptions from John Milton's "Paradise Lost" are used flippantly and liberally whenever it suits me, and I'm treating it as one volume. If in question, yes, you probably understand it better and know more about it than me. :D

I paced along the cold floorboards of my room, agitated and concerned for Dr. Solo.

 

There was so much I did not know about the man who was my master, yet something in his kind eyes and gentle treatment called to me.  I felt a connection and an odd sense of protection for him. It was preposterous to presume that someone of his stature and status in life should need my care or find any value in me, an orphan of no name.  Still, I felt an unexpected bond to him.  His soft nature awoke in me a force of fierce strength that I didn’t know existed.

 

I finally calmed my nerves and took to my bed.  Sleep stayed a stranger, so I flipped through the volume he had given me to read, _Paradise Lost._  It was dense and difficult.  As I read of Adam and Eve in the garden being tempted by the devil, it made me as angry as it did in church as a child when I heard that womankind was formed from a man’s rib to serve his needs.  My stubborn and independent instincts would not accept such nonsense as truth.

 

I shall not pretend that I understood most of the poetry, but there was a section in particular that sang to my lonely heart.

 

_“How can I live without thee, how forego_

_Thy sweet converse, and love so dearly joined,_

_To live again in these wild woods forlorn?_

_Should God create another Eve, and I_

_Another rib afford, yet loss of thee_

_Would never from my heart; no, no, I feel_

_The link of nature draw me: flesh of flesh,_

_Bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state_

_Mine never shall be parted, bliss or woe._

 

_However, I with thee have fixed my lot,_

_Certain to undergo like doom; if death_

_Consort with thee, death is to me as life;_

_So forcible within my heart I feel_

_The bond of nature draw me to my own,_

_My own in thee, for what thou art is mine;_

_Our state cannot be severed, we are one,_

_One flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself.”_

 

If only I was cherished as Adam cherished Eve.  It caused an empty ache in my chest that hungered to be filled.  Why did Dr. Solo give me this book?  Was he as lonely as I?  I imagined that my master himself was speaking these lines in his deep baritone, whispering them into my ear in adoration.  My skin suddenly felt too tight and hot with the need to be touched.  I threw back my covers and lay back on my bed, letting the book slip from my fingers.

 

I slowly lifted up the hem of my nightdress and closed my eyes, cupping my sex in a hand.  Remembering my master in bed, I saw his smooth, alabaster skin exposed to me and the swell of muscle on his strong body.  I imagined how his touch would feel on my skin and sparks of fire were struck by my fingers like steel hitting flint.  I rolled my hips into my hand and imagined his full lips tracing over mine as a moan escaped my lips.  My fingers worked faster through my wet folds, and I realized much later that in my sinful passion I must’ve missed the telltale sound of the front door closing.

 

My breath escaped my lungs in guttural pants as I moaned aloud again, my master’s hands replacing my own in my mind’s eye.  I was climbing higher and higher and stretching up to my peak, toes curling and legs extending, when the floorboards outside my door creaked.  I was too far past reason to stop, a rhythmic whimpering coming unbidden from my throat, when I heard a deep and ragged sigh outside my door.

 

I imagined it was my master outside, ear pressed to the wood as he listened to me.  It was such a sinful and forbidden thought that it pushed me right over the edge into ecstasy.  I fell into sweet bliss and whined loudly as my body pulsed and shook under my own hand.  As I returned to sanity, I blinked my eyes open slowly, now awash in shame at my wanton behavior.  Whatever would Dr. Solo think of me if he were actually there listening?

 

“Yes, sweetness,” a voice hissed, very much not my master’s.  “Such pretty sounds from a pretty girl.”

 

My eyes shot open wide as my hand froze on my sex.  Fear doused me like ice cold water.  I lay rigid in my bed in shock.  

 

There was a grunt and a slapping sound of skin on skin.  My heartbeat thundered as I imagined what type of monster stood on the other side, and what he was _doing._

 

“I heard you.  Your delicious moans and cries.  How pleasing, like music.”

 

My other hand covered my mouth, breath stuttering in my chest.

 

“I wonder what kind of sounds you would make for me, little one?”

 

 _Oh, my God._  His filthy words sunk like hooks in my soul.  No one had ever dared say such things to me.  My cheeks burned in shame.

 

“I can still smell you, sopping wet.  I bet your cunt tastes sweet and soft.”

 

His voice was as low as my master’s, but with none of the tenderness.  Instead it was filled with a raw need and sharp edge that was as shocking as it was profane.  He sounded hungry, and I squirmed in thinking I was the dish he craved.

 

Both fear and a dark taboo threaded together in me at his words.  I lay absolutely still, too afraid to make a sound but also excited to hear what he would say next.

 

“I would drink you down like the sweetest nectar, little one.  If you just open the door.”  

 

His voice sounded tight as a wire.  The door rattled with his movement.  I closed my eyes and, God help me, desire began to burn through my core again at the sound of his naked need.  To feel wanted so desperately by a stranger was both flattering and shocking.  The pure filth of it, and my unexpected dark pleasure, made my hand slowly start to move again on my body.

 

I tried to stay as quiet as I could, slipping through my already-wet folds.  The thrill from his urgent tone was so unlike that of my sweet master’s that a sense of guilt spread in my heart like a stain even as his rough voice excited me.

 

“I can hear you.”  His voice was clipped, even darker now.  “So close.  Open the door and let me see you.”

 

I pressed my eyes closed and wouldn’t speak as I shook my head silently on the pillow.  With a mind of its own, my hand continued it’s wet slide as I circled near the top of my sex in small, quick circles.

 

“I won’t hurt you.  Well, not anymore than you beg me to,” he whispered.  “I know I can make you scream for me so pretty.”  He panted, the slapping sounds fast now.  “You know I can, too, sweetness.”

 

I muffled a moan with my hand.  My prior ministrations had left my body overly-sensitive, and his scandalous words made me fly.  I was already close to my peak.

 

“You don’t have to fear me,” he said, louder now.  “Or yourself.  Give in to desire.”

 

I imagined Satan in the garden, holding out an apple to Eve.  My fingers worked my body as his deep voice worked its black magic.  My inner muscles clenched down, about to tip over into ecstasy again.

 

“Cum for me, little one.  Let go,” he said, urgently.  “Cry out for me.”

 

The good Lord forgive me, I did.  My inner walls squeezed rhythmically and I cried out, bucking my hips against my hand to eke out the remaining pleasure and sin from my sex.  I heard an animalistic grunt on the other side of the door and a groan from the man, and I knew he had reached his ecstasy, too.

 

I lay in a stunned silence as my heartbeat slowly came down and the breath and awareness flooded back to me, and with it my sense of shame.  I waited for him to speak, both scared and desperately curious of what he would say.

 

“Oh, what a gift, little one.”  He sounded like a jungle cat purring in pleasure, and every bit as dangerous.  “Just for me, that was, and not for your master.”

 

I bit my lip, guilt weighing me down heavy like a stone.  I hated to hear him speak ill of Dr. Solo, and a dark fury bubbled up in response.  But still I wouldn’t speak.

 

“I wouldn’t tell your master of our playtime, little one.  He wouldn’t understand, being chained by the false bonds of morality as he is.  He may think you are wanton or loose, just a little _slut._ ”

 

Tears welled up as my worst fears were confirmed in his mocking voice.  There was no kindness in his words, but I knew there was truth.

 

“Only I understand that you couldn’t help it, my sweet girl.  It’s in our nature, you and I.  It’s how we were made.”

 

I heard a scraping sound on the wood, his fingers pulling down, or perhaps even claws, for all I knew.  I pulled my knees into my chest tightly as tears leaked down my cheeks. 

 

“Sleep now.  Dream of me.”  He chuckled.  “I know I will dream of you.”

 

With that he was gone, leaving me alone in the darkness with my conscience.

  



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long chapter, but the others should be faster from here on out. 
> 
> This fic will come off Anon in two weeks. 
> 
> Guess who??? ;)

“Rey!  Rey, wake up!  You’re going to be late for the master!”

 

Rose’s insistent rapping on my door woke me.  I sprung up in bed, gasping, the room already well-lit by the sun. _Oh, no._  I must’ve slept in after the late night and my disturbed sleep.

 

I threw on my clothes, not bothering with the pearl buttons on the back of my high-necked blouse in my haste, as I wrapped my long braid into a quick bun.  I hurried out to meet Rose and ran down the stairs after her to the kitchen where I met Maz’s disapproving look.

 

“Tsk, tsk,” she muttered, and I turned my eyes downward, unable to meet her gaze.  If she only knew what actually kept me up last night, her disappointment would grow infinitely.  My cheeks flushed as my stomach clenched in shame.

 

I prepared the tray as quickly as I could, dropping a fork and having to run to grab another.  I carefully walked up to the master’s room and pushed open the door with my hip, taking deep breaths to keep my heartbeat steady.

 

The room was dark and cool.  I crossed directly to his bedside table and slid the tray home.  When I turned to face him, I saw that he was sleeping on his back this morning, arms flung carelessly in slumber as his wide chest rose and fell with every breath.

 

I stood as if mesmerized by the strength of his body.  I had never seen a man so large, not even amongst the porters and workmen who made deliveries.  At least, not as exposed to my eyes as nakedly as my master sleeping in only his high-waisted pants.  

 

I walked to the curtains and drew them back and returned to rouse him.  But now as I studied him, my brow furrowed in concern. Along his chest, hidden by darkness but revealed by the daylight, were a number of scars, some small and some deep.  They hashed across his fair skin, faded white and silvered by age, telling the story of a man tormented. How had he received so many marks? He, a gentleman of good standing?  My eyes flicked up to his face in the peaceful escape of sleep, unconcerned with earthly cares or pain.

 

Who had hurt my goodly and kind master so?

 

I raised my palm and hovered above his skin, desperately wanting to trace my fingers along the edge of the raised scar on his shoulder to feel the texture for myself.  If only my touch alone could heal him, I wouldn’t hesitate. But I didn’t dare. He was not mine to touch, though I longed to bring him comfort in whatever way I might.  Instead I leaned onto the bed and whispered near his ear, “Good morning, Sir. Time to wake up.”

 

Dr. Solo’s thick lashes fluttered open and he licked his lips as he turned.  A lazy smile stretched across his face as he recognized me. It felt like stepping out of a cold shadow and into the sunlight to see the joy that my appearance gave him.  I had never felt such warmth before.

 

“Rey,” he said, still drowsy.  No words followed. I waited hungrily for him to continue, but instead he sat up in bed.  The muscles in his neck and arms shifted as he moved, reminding me he was as an Adonis made of living flesh and not unfeeling marble.  I had to turn away to hide my blush from him, the sight of so much skin was too much for me.

 

“Your breakfast, Sir.”  I said, leaning forward to pick up the tray to set it on the bed for him.  

 

His deep amber eyes watched me move with the whisper of a smile on his lips.  I could not determine what he was thinking, and his stare made my stomach bubble with nerves as he watched me move.

 

I turned to reach for his dressing gown where it hung in the bureau across the room.  I heard him stand and move behind me. I froze facing his robe and my eyes darted to the standing mirror that stood beside is I watched my master walk up behind me in the reflection.

 

His eyes were on the back of my neck as he looked down at me intently.  My lips unsealed as my heart began to pound like the wings of a dove caught in a net.  “May I, Rey?” he asked, voice deep and soft, and I nodded as I felt his fingers touch the button of my blouse.

 

One by one, he buttoned up the pearl buttons I had left open in my morning haste.  I held still for him and looked down, presenting my neck to him as if in tribute. My hands were confused and didn’t know where to rest, one finally landing on my bosom and the other my stomach as I nibbled my lip.

 

I peeked up in the mirror to watch his serious expression as he fixed up my blouse.  His expression was similar to when he studied ancient textbooks in his library. My heart would not slow try as I might to control it.  His warm fingers grazed my skin inadvertently, and I had to restrain my shiver. He sighed and the fine hairs of my neck lifted with his warm breath.

 

“There we are,” he said after buttoning the last one.  His fingertips gently floated to my shoulders. His touch was like setting a pot on the oven to boil, and it heated me to the core immediately.  I watched his reflection as he smiled softly.

 

“Thank you, Sir,” I said in a voice far too breathless for my liking.

 

“Of course.  You take such good care of me, Rey, I am happy to return the favor,” he answered, his hands dropping to his sides.  His touch thus removed, I found I could move again. I unhooked his robe and moved behind his back to help him step into it.

 

After he tied his waist, he said, “I’m working in the study today.  Would you be able meet me there later?”

 

I frowned.  “To clean? Was there something unsatisfactory from a few days ago?”

 

He chewed on the side of his cheek as if biting back a smile.  “No, nothing like that,” he said as he raked a hand through his hair.  “Simply because I would enjoy your company.”

 

The kettle that he lit with his touch boiled over.  I felt as if I might explode with happiness. _He enjoyed_ my _company?_  “Oh, certainly, Sir!  Thank you for the invitation.”

 

His smile was that of a boy who had opened a present at Christmas.  It utterly disarmed me.

 

“Perhaps at tea time?  You could join me there?”

 

I felt as if I was floating on a cloud.  “Yes, Sir.”

 

“Splendid.”  He smiled and I suddenly felt shy under his direct gaze.  I curtsied and turned to leave. As I closed the door behind me, I looked over my shoulder and saw Dr. Solo was still watching me from his bedside.  He had made no move to eat his breakfast.

 

It would certainly get cold.

 

+++

 

It required three explanations for Maz to understand finally that Dr. Solo wanted to take tea with me in his study.  Her wide eyes oozed skepticism at my claim from behind her thick spectacles, but she bit her tongue as I arranged the biscuits on a small plate and the teapot on a silver tray.  I left her judgment behind me as I carried the tray through the main hall, excited to spend some time alone with Dr. Solo.

 

When I arrived, he was nowhere to be seen.  Odd, as he told me he would be working all day.  Nonetheless, I set up his tea next to the wingback chair and stood waiting by the fire for him to return.  

 

After a few minutes, I grew bored and curious.  I walked around the room, fingers dragging along the volumes that lined the far wall from floor to ceiling.  The titles on many of the spines were worn or in foreign languages that I could not name, others were archaic English.  He was obviously a learned and brilliant man. The books needed dusting, I would need to ask him about that later.

 

I crossed back to the other side of the room and ambled behind his desk.  A journal with a red cover as dark as oxen blood lay open to a page, with an ink pen sitting in the crease.  The handwriting was artistic, swirls of calligraphy done in a talented and steady hand, and it was a beauty to look at.  At the top of the page, I recognized the same date as the newspaper I delivered to him at breakfast.

 

+

_September 20, 1885_

 

_From all the physical symptoms of this journey, it is indeed the ravenous hunger and gnawing sensation in my gut that is the worst.  Upon waking, my appetite is such that I could eat breakfast three times over and still not feel satisfied!_

 

_My dreams are fitful and passionate, and I awake each day feeling less rested after the evening’s explorations than the time before.  I truly believe that if I were to transform every evening that it would soon sap the last of my mortal energy and leave nothing behind in this shell of a body._

 

_But, oh, that would be such a shame, because it is morning’s sunshine that keeps me going!  The beams of light smiling down upon me as I wake each day renew my faith in my mission. My Sun fills me with hope that I shall conquer the darkness inside me and win this battle, that redemption is indeed possible for even the most cursed wretches._

+

 

I was interrupted in my reading by heavy footsteps in the hall.  I jumped back and my instinct told me to quickly move away from the private journal and back across the room, quickly.

 

He appeared in the doorway and stopped, smiling at me standing by the hearth before his eyes quickly dove to his desk and back again.  My expression gave nothing away. “Good afternoon, Sir,” I said in a cheery voice.

 

Dr. Solo crossed to the desk and quickly shut the journal, slipping it into a drawer.  “Good afternoon, Rey. Thank you for joining me.”

 

We arranged ourselves around the small table, and Dr. Solo would not allow me to pour the tea.  “You’re my guest,” he explained, as if our vastly different stations in life did not apply to the small confines of his study.  It made me feel flushed with importance, which was such a strange delight.

 

He treated me as he would a proper lady.  I crossed my ankles and spread out my apron on my lap as I waited.  He asked if I took sugar, and I nodded as he served me.

 

Sipping our tea in silence, he looked up at me over his glasses, apparently timid.  It surprised me and made me giddy with nerves at his sweetness.

 

He smiled and then looked down at his cup before clearing his throat.  “Have you read any of the book that I loaned your?” he asked.

 

“Oh, yes, Sir.  Thank you. Although I cannot pretend that I understood all of it.”

 

He chuckled.  “I think most people would say the same I expect.  But have you found any of it valuable?”

 

“Indeed.  Some of the poetry is very . . . stirring.”  I squirmed in my seat, suddenly awash in discomfort as I remembered the words of love and my image of his full lips whispering them into my own ears.

 

His clever eyes darted to mine.  “Yes, it is quite– _passionate_ , in places.  I do hope you were not scandalized?”

 

It seemed a weighty moment.  His gaze met mine, and I did not flinch away.  I gauged it an opportunity to show him my mettle.  

 

I boldly met his dark eyes and held firm.  “No, sir. I was not.”

 

He seemed placated and pleased with my direct response.  He looked down at the plate as he offered me a biscuit, which I took.

 

“I find the most interesting sections deal with original sin.  That man was made with a streak of evil within, a curse and burden that is all of ours to carry.”

 

I sipped my tea.  “It seems as if man was born pure in the book,” I said, recalling the text.  “It was the devil that tempted mankind.”

 

The intelligence in his eyes seemed lit by a internal flame.  “But indeed, the flaw must be there all along for man to be able to be tempted?”

 

“Perhaps it was not man who was flawed, but the world.”

 

Dr. Solo cocked his head as he regarded me.  I took it as an invitation to elaborate.

 

“Man, and woman to be precise, was born pure but it was the evil of the world that corrupted them, of no inherent fault of their own.”  I swallowed. “At least, that is the tale that is told.”

 

He leaned forward, as if I had caught his interest.  “And do you not believe it, then?”

 

“No, I do not.”  I answered, again feeling bold by his interest.

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because I do not feel evil just for following my own nature.  If it is a sin to follow our own desires, then it seems that the flaw must lie in the world, or in the maker himself.”

 

Dr. Solo sat back in his chair and looked at me, stunned.  I could tell my willful words, verging on heresy, were unexpected.  I immediately regretted forgetting myself and sharing my mind so brazenly.  Whatever would he think of me now?

 

It was his turn to surprise me when he threw back his head and guffawed, loudly, and I blinked back at him.  When he finally recovered, he smiled at me warmly and shook his head.

 

“My, Miss Rey, but you have a strong will and mind of your own, do you not?”

 

I blushed but returned his smile.  “I’ve been accused of such flaws before, yes.”

 

“But as you said, they cannot be flaws if you were born that way?”  I could not tell if he were teasing me or not.

 

My smile fell slightly.  “For a woman of my station, Sir, they universally are.”

 

He sobered.  His voice became gentle again.  “Then that is most certainly the world’s flaw, and not yours, without question.”

 

The crackling fire filled the pause between us as we considered what was said.

 

“And what do you make of man’s evil, Sir?  Innate or not?” I asked him, diverting the conversation from myself.

 

His face darkened as he turned to the fire.  I watched the flames reflect off his glasses, masking his eyes as they danced across his face.

 

“I think that man is made of two parts, good and evil, like strands of thread braided into his soul.  For some, one or the other takes strong precedence, but we are all created with both.”

 

Something in his tone saddened me.  I felt a chill creep up my spine as he continued.

 

“If man is to reach his full potential for goodness, he must release the heavy anchor of evil.  If only we could rip apart the threads, then finally man could be set free of the burden of sin.”

 

“But if we are created this way by our maker, is not it the right way to be?”  I asked, curious.

 

“I do not accept that man must suffer in a constant fight against evil when we could achieve ultimate goodness, here on Earth.”  His eyes came back to mine, with a stern expression that seemed built upon a deep need, his voice strong as iron.

 

“I cannot accept that this struggle, this pain, is necessary.  I won’t.”

 

With that, we fell into a pensive silence as we both watched the fire.  His words hung in the air like a vague promise and threat, or a bit of each, and they left me unsettled.

  



	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy May 1- Time to take this story of Anon! 
> 
> Did you guess? :D
> 
> Since this tale is a blend of light and dark, just like Dr. Solo and Mr. Ren are facets of the same man, I'm posting under both of my accounts.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

It was Friday morning.  After breakfast, Maz called me down to the kitchen to assist the meal preparations for the weekend.  Her niece was getting married out of town, and she had received permission from our master to attend the festivities.  He and I would be left alone in Solo Manor for the weekend as the Tico sisters returned home to their family on the farm, as was typical.

 

The thought of Dr. Solo and I all alone together sent a frisson of excitement buzzing through me.  With it came a prickle of nerves, as I was still so naive to the ways of men and women. I had utter faith in Dr. Solo’s propriety, of course, but perhaps less faith in my own wavering morality.  I was quite taken with him, of his gentle nature and strong body, and being alone with him was a temptation and decadent dream come true.

 

The words of the dark stranger rose and echoed in my ears, _ “Don’t tell your master.  He may think you are wanton or loose, just a little slut.”   _ I felt a stab of guilt at my own base yearning which had been so brutally exposed by the monster outside my door.

 

“Rey, pay attention, child,” Maz interrupted my reverie.  “You must wake a bit earlier to set the oats to boil in the morning.  Can you remember that?”

 

“Yes, Maz,” I replied.  I would not fail her, nor my master.

 

“Good, good.”  She pointed to a boiling pot on the stove.  “The soup should last tonight and tomorrow, keep the pot with the lid on in the cellar overnight.  Sunday, serve the salted ham with fresh bread and eggs. Master will take lunch at the club this weekend, so that’s only two suppers for you.  He’s often so distracted with his studies as to barely touch his evening meal anyway. You would think he lived on printed words alone!” She laughed with good nature.

 

My curiosity was piqued, and I hungered to learn more about him.  “How long have you known Master Solo?” 

 

“Since he was a little boy.  I worked for the family with my older sister, until . . .”  Maz seemed to think better of completing the thought. “His mother, God rest her soul, asked me to stay on with him here before she left for the country estate.  She didn’t want him to live all alone.”

 

There was a pang in my heart at mention of his loss.  “When did she pass, Maz? Was she ill?” 

 

“Mistress Leia passed several years ago, and yes, if you can call a broken heart an affliction.  She loved Mister Han something fierce, and once he was gone, she simply lost the will to live. Benjamin was an only child, you see, and a difficult one, so was sent away to boarding school for much of his youth.”

 

_ Poor Mr. Solo, all alone in the world.  Just like me.  _

 

“But that’s enough about ghosts.  Better to let such sad things stay buried.  Go gather the linens for the wash.” The conversation was clearly over, so I dutifully obeyed. 

 

As I took the collected linens outside to the tubs in the courtyard, I heard a bubbly giggle from the corner.  I looked over to the alleyway and saw Rose standing with her beau, Finn. His arms were wrapped around her waist and hers looped over his shoulders.  He smiled down at her and leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. A blush bloomed rosy on my own cheeks as I turned away quickly.

 

I was happy for her, of course, but it felt like salt poured on the open wound of my own heart.  Oh, to have such soft comfort and a tender touch for myself. I imagined my master’s warm amber eyes and his full lips, and a fingertip traced my own at the dream.  I felt such loneliness that it weighed down my steps mightily as I carried through my daily chores.

 

Maz and the Tico girls left for the weekend after late tea.  Rose was bouncing and giddy like a baby goat, and her lovesick joy was infectious.  It made me smile despite myself. Rose hugged me tightly and whispered, “Have a lovely weekend, Rey!” and I squeezed her back and affirmed, “I will!”  

 

After the heavy front door shut behind them with a clang and their happy footsteps and chatter trailed away, I was left alone in the quiet manor with the man who had been haunting my thoughts like a waking dream.

 

I went to find my master.

 

+++

 

Dr. Solo was in his study, of course, his distinguished nose in a book.

 

I stood at the doorway for a moment in a pool of dim late-afternoon light simply watching him.  He licked his fingers and turned the page, and that simple action alone felt like a string tugging sharply at my heart.

 

He was all alone in the world, like me.  Was he also lonely? Did he also ache for the warmth and touch of another understanding soul?

 

The fire crackled as I watched him read, as lost in his own thoughts as I was in mine.  I summoned the courage to speak.

 

“Sir?”  I said, stepping across the threshold.  “Would you care to take your supper here this evening?”

 

He looked at me and a soft smile curled at the corner of his lip.  “No, Rey. It’s kind of you to ask. Please, join me.”

 

He gestured to the other chair by the fireplace.  I sat down and held my hands in my lap. It was an easy silence, and his kindness made me feel bold.

 

“What are you reading, Sir?”

 

He looked sheepish.  “Oh, a book on anatomy and the vital functions.  A part of my research. Not as poetic as Milton, I’m afraid.”

 

“You are such a learned man, Sir.”  I smiled at him proudly, although I had no right to be proud of him in my position.  I held no ties to this gentleman, other than soft affection.

 

He looked amused at my words.  “Oh, I’m far from that, Rey. I just have a curiosity of mind that needs satiation, and books have always been friends to me.  A truly learned man is the one writing them.” Dr. Solo smiled and turned the page. 

 

His humility was endearing, but I would not let him speak ill of himself.  “Your mind is a fruitful place, to hold so many ideas.”

 

I watched as his gaze grew unfocused even as it remained fixed on his page.  His smile faded from his face like a morning fog burned away by the sun. 

 

_ “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.” _

 

I squeezed my hands together at his recitation as my brow furrowed.  A feeling of cold dread rose in me at his dark tone and sentiment. “What is that from, Sir?”

 

His tortured eyes rose to meet mine.  “ _ Paradise Lost.  _  You haven’t reached that passage, then?”

 

I blushed and looked down at my folded hands.  “I’m afraid I cannot understand it as well as you do, Sir.  I lack the intelligence.”

 

“Nonsense,” Dr. Solo said sharply.  “You are extremely clever, Rey, it is clear to me.  Whether or not you enjoy Milton has nothing to do with your intelligence in the least.”

 

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably, both thrilled and embarrassed by the unearned praise.  I looked up to see his solid gaze on my face.

 

“Thank you,” I said softly, barely louder than a whisper.

 

He nodded at me, solemn.  His warm eyes were like hot coals and burned through me with an intensity that made me tingle.

 

I rose from my chair hastily.  “I shall go prepare your dinner–”

 

“No, prepare your own, Rey, please don’t bother with me.  I’m going to the club tonight. I have another . . . meeting.”

 

“Tonight?”  I couldn’t hide the disappointment from my voice.

 

He sighed and looked away.  “Yes. This man is only–  _ available  _ after dark.”  

 

There was such a discomfort in his large frame, his shoulders tensing and jaw setting like granite, that it prompted me to ask, “Who is it, Sir?  Who are you meeting?”

 

His darkened eyes returned to my face.  He studied me and it seemed he was considering his next words carefully.

 

“His name is Kylo Ren.”

 

I gulped at the strange name, and at my master’s intense reaction to it.

 

“A man from my past.  Someone I tried to forget, but who has returned and is seeking his due.”

 

His large frame had gone rigid with tension.  I felt emboldened to speak freely now that we were alone with no risk of other ears overhearing us.  

 

“Is he your enemy?”

 

Dr. Solo smiled crookedly, but there was no mirth in his expression.  “Not precisely. Our past is very complicated. There was a time when I relied upon him, and he served me.  We are tied together by fate and by a bond that cannot easily be broken.”

 

I was intrigued by his words, but the cold dread did not abate.  Something in his manner was a dark warning. I felt the same sinister threat creep up my spine as I did when the stranger whispered under my door.  Could it be? I felt a chord of recognition.

 

“Has he come to the manor before, Sir?”  I asked with hesitation.

 

Dr. Solo’s eyes grew wide, and he licked his lips and swallowed.  His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “Why do you ask, Rey?” he leaned forward, closing his book suddenly as his voice rose with urgency.  “Have you seen him? You’ve kept your door locked, haven’t you? He hasn’t–” 

 

My words flew out to allay his fears.  “Yes, sir, I’ve stayed in my room. I’ve just heard strange noises.  But I have seen no one.” It was not a lie. I bit my lip, hoping my expression did not betray my own complicity.

 

Soothed, Dr. Solo melted back in his chair with a heavy exhale.  Guilt washed over me at my own behavior. Oh, if my sweet master only knew what I had done with the filthy Mr. Ren!  But I could never allow that. It would break my heart into pieces if he thought I was a wanton harlot.

 

“Good, good.  For reasons I cannot divulge, he has rights to enter the manor while I am away.  Please,  _ please _ remain safely locked away when I am not here.  I must know you are safe, Rey,  _ promise me _ .” 

 

“Of course, sir!”  I nodded firmly and in the heat of my emotions, I brazenly leaned forward and set my hand on top of his.  How warm he felt, almost feverish to the touch, and I longed to touch him everywhere and feel that heat on my own skin.  _  Kiss his brow, caress his cheek, press into him . . . _

 

He turned his palm under my hand so our fingertips touched for a moment, and it was an intimacy that sent a jolt straight through me like a quake.  I held my breath as he slowly withdrew his hand.

 

“I must go now,” he said softly, eyes shy again.  I nodded and removed my hand, remembering my place once again.  “Lock the front door behind me, Rey, and your own, as well.”

 

I nodded and tears welled in my eyes as I looked down.  I knew he only wanted to protect me, he was being a thoughtful master.  Yet I still felt rejected somehow. I tried to banish the thought along with my tears, not wanting him to think I was a foolish girl.

 

His voice was gentle as he said,  _ “Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to the light.”   _

 

I lifted my chin to look at him again and he held my gaze, unwavering.  I couldn’t read what he was thinking, but his warm eyes seemed to hold great affection.  I curtsied and made my exit.

 

I stood in the kitchen making my plate when I heard the front door close with a slam.  My stomach sunk with the knowledge I was alone again, but I steeled myself for the night to come and any challenges I may face.

  
For now I knew the name of my monster:   _ Mister Kylo Ren. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's get this party started- heh heh.
> 
> TW: somewhat dubious consent of the "I shouldn't want this, even though I do" variety. A confusing mix of fear and desire, which will carry through out the story.
> 
>  
> 
> If you like this story, here’s another Jekyll & Hyde AU in Reylo that will incorporate a lot of well-researched societal and historical details from this era, as well as Jack the Ripper! Read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18424650/chapters/43642023

Lightning shattered like glass outside my window, and I awoke with a gasp.

 

My hand flew to my chest, as if to capture my fluttering heart, as the boom of thunder that followed shook the window panes in the frame.  The torrent of rain was unleashed all at once on the slate roof above me, sounding as if a giant child had dropped a bag of marbles. I sat up in bed in my darkened room and tried to calm my breath.

 

Storms had always been more of an excitement than a source of fear, but the power and urgency of this onslaught was overwhelming.  I reached for my matches and candlestick. The meager yellow flame was easily swallowed up by the sharp flashes of white light that accompanied the storm, but it gave me a small comfort, nonetheless.  I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and tucked my braid back behind my shoulder.

 

My mouth was uncomfortably dry, and the cup by my bedside was empty.  I had foolishly forgotten to refill it with water before retiring. _Drat._ I licked my parched lips and remembered the words of my master:   _I must know you are safe, Rey, promise me.  Lock your door._

 

It must be very late.  The house was eerily quiet except for the crackling of lightning and deep deep groan of thunder.  Certainly I could make it down to the kitchen and back with nary a soul knowing? I slipped out of bed and wrapped my blanket around my shoulders as I picked up my candlestick and cup.

 

Ear pressed to the door, I could hear not a living sound.  After another rattle of thunder, I unlocked the latch and tiptoed out into the hall quiet as a mouse, head darting side to side before shutting the door behind me.

 

I slipped down the servant’s stairs quickly and made my way to the kitchen.  The water in the pewter pitcher on the counter was still cool from the well. I poured out a cup and drank it down entirely.  I was filling another when I heard a faint sound coming from the main hall in between the peals of thunder.

 

I held my breath as my ears strained to make sense of the faint sound, light as a butterfly’s wings.  I took a few silent steps forward. The back of my neck prickled as I got closer to the doorway and could finally identify it.

 

Whispering.  Fast and seamless, as if someone was reciting an invocation.

 

The strong pull of curiosity overcame my fear, and perhaps my common sense.  Rather than immediately running back to my room, I eased closer to the door to try to hear what the voice was saying.

 

Erratic flashes of white light lit the kitchen.  As I passed by a butcher block, I slid out a boning knife and held it to my side.  I moved like a shadow to the open doorway and stood with my back against the wall.

 

The ardent whispering continued.  I leaned around the door jam slowly to look into the hall.  It was darker even than the kitchen, but a flash of lighting illuminated a tall figure.  He was standing in a long overcoat and top hat, his back to me as he faced a portrait by the master’s study.  He was large, that was certain, but I couldn’t get a good look of the man.

 

_Mister Kylo Ren._

 

I had no doubt it was him.  I clutched my knife in my hand.  The memory of our last encounter and the sound of his hungry voice rose in in my mind.  His filthy words trickled like hot oil down my spine.

 

_I bet your cunt tastes so sweet and soft._

_I would drink you down like the sweetest nectar, little one._

_I know I can make you scream for me so pretty._

_You know I can, too, sweetness._

 

A fresh heat burned my cheeks and settled under my skin.  He said I needn’t fear him, but _oh, I did._  I feared what he would do to me as much as I feared what I _wanted_ him to do to me. I pressed my eyes closed and listened to his words.  I recognized them, the same poetry from my master’s book, _Paradise Lost._

 

_“Me miserable! Which way shall I fly_

_Infinite wrath and infinite despair?_

_Which way I fly is hell; myself am hell;_

_And in the lowest deep a lower deep,_

_Still threat'ning to devour me, opens wide,_

_To which the hell I suffer seems a heaven.”_

 

Over and over, he repeated the poetry as if possessed.  I felt grounded to the spot, my feet made of lead, as I tried to untangle the meaning.  There was a crack of lightning so loud and close-by that I couldn’t stop a sharp intake of breath.

 

The whispering abruptly stopped.  

 

Thunder rumbled and only silence followed.  My pulse quickened. I opened my eyes, nervous, and steeled myself to lean over again and look out into the hall.  

 

It was empty.

 

I jumped back into the kitchen as my heartbeat pounded.  Where was he?  The animal instinct to flee overtook me, and I raced through the kitchen and grabbed my candlestick.  My shallow breath made the flame dance as I ran up the winding stairs back to the second level with the knife still clutched in my hand.

 

I was just reaching for the handle of my door when a strong arm wrapped tightly around my waist and yanked.

 

I shrieked as he lifted me off my feet and into a solid chest.  In my terror, I dropped the knife and candle as I began to scratch at his arm and kick.  A leather glove clamped over my mouth and I screamed against it. The arm on my waist cinched me in tighter as the body turned to stamp out the candle with a heavy boot.

 

Hot breath tickled the side of my cheek.  “Shh, _hush,_ little one,” a warm nose brushed against my jaw and I flinched away.  “I’m not going to hurt you. I only want to play.”

 

My eyes grew wide as I panted quickly against his palm.  The dark voice that had haunted me now had me in his solid grasp. _Mister Kylo Ren._  He moved two steps forward and pressed me against the stairwell railing.  Now I was trapped by his massive body weight behind me and with no escape.

 

“You don’t know how badly I’ve wanted to touch you, sweetness,” he whispered against my neck.  His firm thighs pressed against the back of mine, and I was completely at his mercy. I squirmed and the hand on my waist loosened and slid lower down to my belly.  I whimpered against his palm pitifully, terrified yet also electrified by his touch, by his weight and heat behind me. I was both afraid and curious of what he would do next, and the grim anticipation created its own dark heat under my skin and between my thighs.

 

“I knew you were sweet,  _but oh maker,_ I had no idea.”  His lips brushed against my neck as he whispered against my skin.  “Like wild honey. I need a taste.”

 

He moved the hand covering my mouth to expose my vulnerable neck to him.  Then he licked a thick, hot stripe from my collarbone all the way up to the tender flesh behind my ear.  I shivered at the contrast of the cool night air against my wet skin. My nipples tightened and rasped against the thin linen of my nightgown as I whined into his palm.

 

I scratched at his arms but it made no difference.  He was strong and unyielding as he added more weight to press me forward into the railing.  I had to lift my heels and arch my back to keep my balance. His arm on my stomach slid lower to hold me as he draped forward over me like a cloak.  

 

His hips tilted into mine, and I felt a firm jab against my behind.  My legs started to tremble, both frightened but also aroused by his power over me.  I began to sniffle, overwhelmed and afraid, but also longing for him to make good on his filthy promises.

 

“Shh, little one, I won’t take your maidenhood until you beg me to,” he whispered.  “I can tell how badly you want me to touch you. I can _smell it_.”  

 

He rocked against me and the shift in angle allowed his hard prick to rub between my legs through the thin barrier of my nightgown.  I moaned as he brushed against my clothed slit, which despite my fear was already wet and aching.  He dug his hips forward against mine in a long stroke and my eyelids fluttered.

 

I was burning up and he was too close and overwhelming to resist.  I whimpered into his gloved hand as he tipped his hips into mine with ragged breaths.  His body was insistent and mine couldn’t help but comply as he pressed firm against my bottom.  I was confused and electrified by his touch, and the fact I wasn’t more hesitant was a source of new shame.

 

He must’ve read my body’s secret language, because he lowered the hand from my mouth to my throat and wrapped his fingers around possessively.  I didn’t think to scream. He pushed into me and groaned, a low and tortured sound, as he nosed around in my hair.

 

“Oh, so luscious and ripe.”  Mr. Ren took a soft bite along my neck, scraping his teeth along my skin. I moaned, unwillingly.  “Just waiting to be picked.”

 

His hand around my waist lowered to cup my sex and I felt an instant tingling low in my belly.  He rocked against me again as his wicked fingers began to work. They sent sparks through my body like the lightning crackling outside.

 

“No one has to know about this,” he whispered as his gloved fingers moved along my clit.  My hands that had scrabbled at his forearm held on tight instead. “Just us.”

 

My thin nightgown was no barrier to him.  I felt a hot, stickiness between my legs as my body awakened under his touch.  He placed an open kiss on my neck and my hips rolled forward against his hand.

 

“Yes, let it feel good,” he whispered, nipping at my neck. “Just give in.  For me.”

 

I closed my eyes and moaned, needy.  It felt good, too good to deny, even to myself.  It was sinful, and I was a sinner, because I craved his depraved touch.  My body responded whether I liked it or not, and I couldn’t hide anymore how badly I craved this.  I was torn and his fingers worked to rip me to pieces even more deliciously.

 

His lips dragged along my jaw as I whimpered and moved against him.  I arched my back and rocked against his hard cock, moving with his hands as he quickened his pace.

 

“That’s it, little one.  Work that pretty cunt.  Use me.”  He bit and sucked on my neck and his hand on my throat lowered to cup and squeeze my breast through my nightdress.  “Cry out for me.”

 

I tipped my hips against him and closed my eyes, chasing my pleasure.  My breath caught in my throat. I felt dizzy and dark, my eyelashes fluttering with each brush of his hot length as it hit the tight bundle of nerves between my thighs.  I had to bite my lip at the overwhelming pleasure as I reached up for my peak.

 

I finally crested the summit and cried out as I tipped over.  I held onto his forearm as my thighs shook and my pussy clenched in waves of rich ecstasy.  When my climax ended, I exhaled and leaned forward over the railing.  His hands grasped my hips and with several brute thrusts, he grunted and cursed as wet warmth flooded between us.

 

The hall was quiet save for our panting breath as lightning flashed around us.

 

“Ahh, that was delicious.”  He sounded so pleased with himself.  A hand landed on my shoulder and then traced down my spine, as if measuring my length.  “My sweet girl, I knew underneath you were a greedy little slut.”

 

I bristled at his crude words as my senses returned.  Indignation made my blood boil. “I am not,” I said, the first words I dared utter to him.

 

He laughed and squeezed my hips.  “Of course you are, and there’s no shame in it.  No shame in wanting.” His hand lowered to cup my behind, and I flinched.  “There’s beauty in admitting the truth of what you are.  Something your fool master could never do.”

 

How dare he speak of kind Dr. Solo in such a way!  With my master’s name on his lips, a dark fury rose in me.  I gripped the railing and stood upright.

 

“Now, let’s see if your cunt tastes as sweet as it smells.”

 

He started to bunch up my nightdress as he lowered to a knee behind me.  My senses were screaming, and I found my strength again.

 

“Stay away from me!”  I yelled and pushed back with all my might, knocking him off balance.  As he tumbled to the floor, I turned away from him to run and pick up the knife, holding it out in warning before he righted himself.  

 

He laughed as he rolled over away from me on all fours and picked up his hat.  I watched his wide back as he stood up and replaced his hat on his head and brushed off his shoulders.

 

Then Mister Ren turned around to face me, and my jaw dropped open in shock.

 

It was the face of a monster.

  



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Friends,
> 
> Thanks for your patience! Can you guess what his eyes look like? Tell me below in comments. 
> 
> Your support and kind words are greatly appreciated. Thank you!
> 
> I deleted Twitter, so you can always msg me on Tumblr @NewerConstellations, Discord NewerConstellations #1243 or below. Thanks for reading!

He brushed off the dust from his shoulder with a gloved hand and caught my shocked expression.  Mr. Ren’s rosy lips curled upwards into a sinister smile. 

 

“What’s the matter, sweetness?  Cat’s got your tongue?” 

 

A flash of lighting sliced through the hall and light danced across his face.  The knife trembled in my hand.  _ It couldn’t be. _

 

I stared into the face of Dr. Solo.  

 

No,  _ not him, _ but a warped version of him.  His gentle mouth now smirked at me cruelly and his smooth cheeks were covered in scruff.  He took a step forward and fixed his top hat upon his unruly raven mane as I stood stock-still in surprise.  

 

Oh, but  _ his eyes. _  They were the worst abomination.  Instead of a warm honey brown, they were bloodshot with bright gold irises that nearly  _ glowed _ , both intense and unnatural.  They sent shivers creeping down my spine.  He had not a shred of humanity as he gazed upon me, the antithesis of my kind master in every way, yet looked almost like his twin. 

 

Mr. Ren licked his lips and cocked his head like a wolf scenting blood.  He took another step forward, and I stiffened, as he looked me up and down in my thin nightdress.  

 

“Or maybe _you’re_ the kitty.  My sweet little pussy _.”_

 

“Stay back!”  I cried and swiped the knife between us in warning.  I put on a brave front, yet inside was a storm of nerves.  My mind was spinning like a top as I tried to make sense of the monster who wore my master’s face. 

 

Mr. Ren raised his palms and chuckled darkly.  “Oh, this little pussy has teeth and claws. What fun.”  He smiled as if he knew a secret. “I like a little bite.  Even better when I catch you by the scruff of your neck.”

 

My scalp prickled.  He had me cornered, my only path to the stairs was around him.  We eyed each other for a moment and then he lunged for me as I yelped and jumped back.  My knife barely missed his hand, and we switched positions in the hall. 

 

“Get away from me!”  I cried out, voice cracking.  I had never hurt a man and didn’t know if I had the will, but was willing to discover it.  

 

“Stay away?  Now what fun would that be?!”  He said, chewing back a smile. “We both know you  _ want me _ to catch you, little one.”  

 

“Leave me alone, or I’ll tell Dr. Solo!”  

 

Now he did openly laugh at me as he shook his head in disbelief.  Once he regained his wits, he said, “Solo? What do you think he would do for you?  The good doctor would only think you a  _ naughty _ girl, willful and disobedient.”  Ren leaned forward and the words dropped heavy and clear from his full lips, “But I like a nasty girl, unlike your fool master.”

 

His slander piqued my anger.  “Don’t speak ill of him! He’ll protect me,” I said, clutching at the stairwell with my free hand.  In a few steps, I could twist around and run downstairs and away from him, if he would only stay back.  

 

Mr. Ren’s temper snapped like a whip.  “He’ll do  _ nothing _ for you,” he screamed, “He’s  _ weak _ , a  _ coward!” _

 

I flinched and shook my head.  Tears sprung to my eyes, as much from anger as fear.  “You’re wrong. He’s a good man.”

 

He stood up straight, calm again.  “And what use is a good man in a cruel world, sweetness?  What you need is a bigger  _ wolf.” _  Ren grinned at me.  We stood in silent stalemate as I waited for his next move.  

 

Then the monster threw back his head and howled, loud and unhinged, like a madman.

 

I saw my chance and ran. 

 

I flew down the stairs clutching the knife.  The house was dark, but I knew my way, and my bare feet were quiet.  The thunder rumbled in the distance as the storm made its way past us.  I darted through the dining room and into the parlor, then ducked behind the big leather armchair in the corner.

 

My heart beat furiously in my chest as I covered my mouth to muffle my desperate breath.  I listened for him to follow, attuned the tiniest sounds in the dark.

 

I heard slow, heavy footsteps as his boots hit the polished parquet floors of the hall.

 

“Here kitty, kitty, _ kitty _ ,” he sang darkly.  My eyes grew as wide as half-pennies.  Ren was toying with me. “Where did my sweet little pussy go?”

 

I curled up in a tight ball behind the chair, hugging my knees as I held the knife in front of me.  Another flash of lighting cut across the room, and I blinked in the darkness.

 

He pouted like an ill-mannered child.  “We were having so much fun. And then you had to mention Solo and ruin our moment.”  There was a brittle undertone of disdain. His steps moved closer.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll make you forget him.  Come out and play some more, little one. We’ll have such a good time.”

 

I refused to move a muscle.

 

HIs tone darkened.  “Don’t make me teach you a lesson, sweetness.  I’ll stripe that beautiful bottom in red welts.  Come out now before I get angry.”

 

Steady footsteps crossed the parlor floor.  I swallowed and prepared myself.

 

Suddenly, he shouted, “ _ Come out now!  Don’t make me wait!” _

 

I closed my eyes and flinched.  His unstable moods made my stomach flip.  I had no idea what he was capable of I had no intention of finding out.

 

Mr. Ren huffed and his voice fell back to a coo.  “I can smell you, little one, sweeter than sugar. Come back out and let me have another taste.”

 

His footsteps moved across the room to the far side.  I edged around the chair on my hands and knees to peek around to see him facing the drapes by the window.

 

“I like playing games, too.  But you should know I always win.”

 

I bit my lip and edged out further.  His back was turned as he faced the drapes.  I could almost dart out the door. If I could just make it to the kitchen and run out the back door, the alley was right there. 

 

“Peek-a-boo!”  He said as he threw back the curtain.  I ran for the door. 

 

I heard a grunt behind me but didn’t turn.  I ran around the dining room table and was almost to the kitchen door when a hand yanked hard on my long braid like a rope.  I screeched as white, hot pain seared my scalp. Ren pulled me back to his chest as he panted, other hand wrapping around my waist like a vice.  I swiped the knife behind me on reflex, but he sidestepped it and we both fell off balance. We landed on the floor in a tangle and the knife spun away out of my hands and struck a chair.  

 

We struggled but I was no match for his size and weight.  I ended up flat on my back as he pinned my wrists down to the floor and lay across my body.

 

The hat was gone.  Ren blew his hair away from his eyes.  I panted and stared into the terrible gold that now burned like a bonfire at his victory.  “Now, now, don’t be afraid,” he murmured. He leaned in to my face and I turned my head to the side so as to not look at him, jutting my chin out stubbornly.

 

“I won’t bite you,” he whispered.  “Unless you want me to, of course.”  He brushed his nose against the curve of my jaw, and I whimpered.  His hot breath tickled my neck and I was defenseless against him. He was massive, oppressively so, and there was no pushing back.  He felt like an anvil on my chest.

 

“I just want to hear some more of those pretty sounds you make, little one.”  He tipped his hips against mine, and I had to shift my legs as he wormed his way between my thighs.  “Won’t you make some sweet music for me?”

 

I closed my eyes and bit my lip, refusing to look at him.  Now that I saw his face, a wave of guilt at my prior debauchery washed over me.  How could I possibly feel anything for such a creature? His lips brushed against my jaw and his fingers tightened around my wrists.  Only someone as depraved as him could possibly enjoy such sin.

 

I kept telling myself this, even as a heat rose of its own volition between my thighs at the rock of his hips against mine.  I did not want this, I could not want this, no, no, I thought, fighting against my body’s response to him.

 

His prick pressed sharply into my hip and my lips parted with a gasp.  I had to get away before anything further happened, either from his insistence or from my weakness.  I must escape to preserve my dignity. 

 

I opened my eyes and saw the knife a couple of feet away where it had stopped spinning.  If I could move a bit further, I could almost reach it.

 

Ren’s hips dug almost painfully into mine as he began moving in earnest.  He exhaled on my bosom through my thin shift and goosebumps rose on my arms.  I sighed and he hummed in pleasure.

 

“That’s it, just let go.  Embrace it,” he opened his full mouth and licked a thick stripe up the column of my throat.  I arched my back and moaned at his touch, my body answering the call of his flesh even though I willed it not to respond.

 

Perhaps feeling encouraged, he released my wrists and his hands landed on my hips to hold me steady.  He rose above me, adding more pressure between my thighs as he groaned.

 

“Feels good to let go, doesn’t it?  To give in?” His wicked eyes bored into mine.  I nodded back breathlessly, the heat of his body seeping into mine.  

 

He shifted down lower, hands still clutching my hips, settling himself into the carpet.  “I can teach you so much, little one. If you’d let me.” He placed a hungry kiss over my heart, his hot mouth soaking through the thin linen to reach my skin.  Ren pressed another kiss to my navel. A few more kisses and a few more inches down, and I knew there would be no way for me to pry myself free of him.

 

“Just let me teach you,” he whispered and dipped down to the top of my mound, inhaling deeply and beginning to bunch up my nightgown in his hands.

 

It was my final chance at freedom.  I gathered my strength and twisted from the waist to reach for the knife and then fell flat on my back to face him.  Ren snarled like a beast at my blade and moved to grab my wrist, but this time I was faster.

 

I drew my right hand up sharply and he fell back screaming.  Hot blood splattered across my chest from the slice, the red soaking into the white fabric, and he rolled off of me to cradle his right cheek.  I kicked my legs free of him and rolled over, feet slipping under me until I took off running through the kitchen and away from his yowls of pain.

 

My heart was galloping as I ran not through the alley but up the servant’s stairs to the second level.  I ran for my bedroom and locked the door behind me, then with great effort dragged a heavy set of drawers to block the door frame as added insurance.

 

My hands shook as I stepped back to the far wall, never taking my eyes off the door.  The manor was eerily quiet and still. That frightened me even more.

 

I finally crouched down on the floor and hugged my knees to stop the trembling.  My head bobbed from fatigue, but I kept my vigil with the bloody knife at my feet.  That’s where sleep finally overtook me in the early morning hours.

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guess what Mr. Ren's eyes looked like last chapter? 
> 
> Sith eyes! :D  
> https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8k_-cbKYfeA/maxresdefault.jpg
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I appreciate your kind comments! 
> 
> Hit me up below, or on Tumblr: @newerconstellations.

The first whisper of sunlight stole through my window as the gauze of sleep fell from my eyes.

 

I lifted my cheek from the cold floorboard and sat up, stiff and sore.  The knife clattered from lap. The blood on the blade and on my gown had dried overnight to a dark puce.

 

So it was not a nightmare, then.  It had happened, all of it.

 

The dresser still blocked my doorway.  It seemed the monster had not tried to invade my room, to my relief and surprise.  I stood and stretched, limbs feeling as brittle as glass, before freezing in worry.  

 

Dr. Solo.  Where was he?  I felt an icy stab of fear.  Had he come home to the wounded beast?

 

Quickly, I pushed the dresser out of the way with my shoulder, grunting with each shove.  I threw open my door and stood panting in the hall as I listened for any movement. 

 

Nothing.  The manor was quiet as a tomb. 

 

Without thought of propriety, I raced to my master’s chambers.  My heart galloped in my chest as I turned the handle to his door and stepped into the quiet dark.  For a painful moment, I could hear no sounds or breathing, and I feared the worst. I hurried to his bedside, blinded in the dark.

 

But he wasn’t there.  His bed was still made from the day before, unruffled.  

 

Dr. Solo had not returned last night.

 

+++

 

I dressed and went about my morning chores in a state of worry.  I spent an hour with a bucket and scrub brush removing the blood from the carpet in the dining room, I prepared the vegetables and meat for the soup for dinner.

 

I had no one to call upon for advice or to allay my fears.  Maz and the Ticos would not return until Monday morning, and it was just Saturday.  All I could do is wait for Dr. Solo to return.

 

In early afternoon, there was a loud knocking on the door.  On the stoop stood a pair of constables with matching stern expressions.  The older, portly man had a grey handlebar mustache and the younger one was thin as a rail and with jet black hair.  They looked like a set of salt and pepper shakers in uniform.

 

“Gooday, Miss.  We’re looking for the master of the house?”

 

_ Oh, no.  _  Fear roared in my ears like a lion.  “I’m afraid that Dr. Solo isn’t here presently.”

 

They exchanged a knowing look and the thin one pulled out a notepad.

 

“Is that right.  Well, the housekeeper, then.  Mrs. Kanata, is it?”

 

“She’s away for the weekend.  It’s just me here, Sir.”

 

The elder of the two stepped forward.  

 

“Well, Miss, I’m afraid then you’ll need to come with us.”

 

I looked between the two, suddenly nervous.  “Have–have I done something wrong?”

 

“No, Miss, not at all.  We need someone who knows your master to come with us to hospital.  It’s an urgent matter.”

 

My mind churned.  I nodded quickly and turned to grab my overcoat and hat from the back closet and then set out behind them with a growing dread.  

 

What had Mr. Ren done?

 

+++

 

The grey stone building was a drab as the cold London sky.  A murder of crows sat amongst the trees, cawing desperately as if protesting the weather.  I followed the men inside the dreary building and down winding hallways and stairs until we approached a room in the hospital bowels.

 

I clasped my hands nervously as they led me inside.  It was lit only by candles and narrow window covered by bars.  A single bed was placed in the center of the room, and on it lay a man.  I stepped between the two tall shoulders of the men to look down at the figure.

 

My quivering lips parted.  I looked down upon Dr. Solo as he slept, a familiar sight but with a ghastly change.  His gentle countenance was now marred by a long, bloody scar that sliced across his handsome face.

 

A scar that I had placed with my own hand.

 

Tears welled in my eyes.  How could this be? Did Mr. Ren harm him in retaliation?  But no, it was too precise a cut, and I could not longer delude myself.  The horrible truth stared back at me from his skin.

 

My master _ was _ Mr. Ren.  Somehow, through some cruel possession or evil wickedness, the two souls, as different as day and night, were housed in the same body.  I had to hold onto the bed railing to steady myself as my mind spun. 

 

“Miss, is this your employer, Dr. Benjamin Solo?  Someone from the hospital identified him, but we need confirmation.  He had no identification on him.”

 

I could only nod as I wiped away my tears.

 

The elder man patted my shoulder lightly.  “There, there, Miss. He’ll be alright. He was lucky that a merchant marine found him by the docks and called us over.  Probably mauled by thieves. Lucky to be alive, certainly, but he’ll make it, don’t you worry about that, Miss.”

 

I moved to his bedside.  His hands were above the sheets, ungloved now, and I placed mine on top of his to assure myself he was still warm.  At my touch, he stirred. His eyelids opened and he turned to face me, a slow smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

 

His eyes were so genuine, warm and open to me.  There was no trace of deception there, only the depth of his lovely soul, revealed to me.  I had no doubt that this was my kind master looking up at me. 

 

The sun tried valiantly to squeeze through the narrow slit behind my back.  Dr. Solo blinked as the light kissed his face. “Rey,” he said, squinting. 

 

I took a step closer and moved to shield him from the bright light.  “Sir,” I answered, relieved that he recognized me. 

 

“You look like an angel, Rey,” he said, gazing at me with open adoration.  “Are you here to grant me absolution? Have mercy on my soul, sweet woman.”

 

He began whispering, as if in prayer,  _ “ _ _ Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss.”  _

 

I held his large hand with my small one as he grasped me feebly.  I remembered we were not alone, and looked up at the constables, who were staring at us curiously.  A nurse entered the room and approached the bed.

 

“That’s the morphine talking,” she said, clucking like a hen.  “He was sedated for the surgeon to stitch him back together again.  It was a nasty gash.” 

 

“Is he able to come back home soon?” I asked her.

 

The older constable cleared his throat and answered for her.  “Yes, Miss, as soon as the doctors discharge him. We shall still need to ask him some questions this week, of course, about that night and the hooligans who did this.” 

 

The other one piped in.  “There were other attacks that night as well, besides your master.  Another man was beaten senseless not very far away, and there were some reports of a scuffle at a broth–”  The older man elbowed him in the ribs and he coughed. “At a house of ill repute, Miss, but we needn’t bother you with that.”

 

I nodded.  So he had fought other men in his state, and Mr. Ren had hurt them.  Remembering his agitation and fury, I had no doubt he needed to unleash it on someone.  My guilt deepened. 

 

The constables tipped their caps to me and then left the room, leaving us alone.  I looked down upon him as he smiled dreamily in his medicated state, drifting in and out of sleep.

 

My eyes traced the line that my blade had carved.  It was bandaged in dark tape, dried blood across the corners and black thread peeking through.  It cut from the tip of one brow at a diagonal down to his jaw, certainly a permanent mark. I felt nauseous, awash in guilt and regret.

 

How much did he remember of last night, of all the nights?  How much did he know of his other nature? I sat in a chair at his bedside, feeling dizzy and confused.  I took his hand again. He looked at me so tenderly that my heart clenched. 

 

“Dr. Solo, Sir, I am so sorry.”  I choked on the tears and leaned forward to press my forehead into his arm as I sobbed.  I held his hand like a lifeline and felt his other palm alight on the back of my head.

 

“Rey, no, please don’t cry.”  He tried to hush and comfort me, although he was the one needing comfort.  “Please, I cannot stand to see you upset.”

 

His tone was so gentle, that I looked up at his soft eyes as tears streamed from mine.  He had not a trace of the monstrous look and only kindness and understanding met me in his gaze, and dare I even say, warm affection.

 

The truth rang as clear as a church tower bell as he looked at me:   _ Dr. Solo had no idea. _

 

He had no idea that I was the one who had marked him last night.  He had no idea what happened between us.

 

+++

 

Dr. Solo fell back asleep.  I sat in vigil at his bedside.

 

The nurses came in to check on him and to replace the dressing on his wounds.  I flinched as I saw the raw and oozing flesh under the bandage, it stinging me almost as much as it seemed to hurt him as we both flinched.  He had other scrapes and bruises that they cleaned and treated, on his knuckles and on his ribs, his beautiful body bearing the signs of untold struggles.  The nurses gave him more medicine and he drifted back into his drug-induced dreams.

 

I hazarded a guess about his activities last night.  After I marked him, he escaped the Manor and fled to the dark, disreputable parts of town, putting himself in danger.  Mr. Ren must’ve been angry and looking for a fight, or for other more carnal pleasures.

 

The thought of him at a house of ill repute made me feel sour and sick.  What type of woman was he searching for, and what type of woman would take that wild man in her bed in such a state?  I felt an unexpected flash of fury and disgust, which surprisingly covered the real feeling underneath that . . . which was  _ jealousy, _ I realized with a shock.  What right had I to feel jealous over a monster?

 

_ A monster. _  The word felt like a slap. 

 

Dr. Solo, this sweet man, was also the monster.  I shook my head, trying to settle the truth into place in any way that would make sense.  I could not grasp the shape of it yet, it was a dark mystery. How could two souls, so disparate and opposing, be housed in the same beloved body?  How was this even possible? 

 

I had no idea, but I had every intention of finding out.  My stubborn and bold nature took over, urging me forward and to seek out the truth.

 

The nurses confirmed that they would hold Dr. Solo for another night in hospital before releasing him back home.  That meant Solo Manor was empty. I was free to investigate at my will.

 

His face looked so sweet as he slept, full lips slightly parted.  I placed a soft kiss on his forehead before leaving him safely under watch in his room.

 

I set out for home as my heels clicked on the pavement with my mind set and will like iron.

 

I would unlock the mystery of Dr. Solo and Mr. Ren.  I had to save my Master.

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little transitional chapter to set up the next set of fun and games.
> 
> Be careful what you wish for, Rey. 
> 
> ; )
> 
> Thank so much for your comments and support, I love hearing your thoughts and enthusiasm!

The sun was just beginning it’s descent as I returned to Solo Manor.  The gas streetlights were being lit, and I carefully stepped around the lamplighter with a nod of my head in greeting.

 

I opened the front door and pink and orange painted the polished wood floors in brilliant color.  I quickly closed and bolted the door behind me and was left alone in the soft, grey darkness of the empty home.

 

My heels echoed as I doffed my hat and coat quickly.  I lit a fire in the stove for a tea kettle and the soup.  It was eerie being all alone in the cavernous home and my skin itched at the solitude.

 

I waited on the water to boil and lit the candles in the main hall and dining room.  I traced my fingertips along the massive dining room table, formal cherrywood polished to a gleam.  It dawned on me that I could take my supper here, that no one would ever know. I could sit down at the far end of the table across from the master’s regular seat.  It would be easy to pretend that I was the mistress of the house, and I gave into the sweet reverie. I could almost see his shy eyes dance across the table at me, his warm smile lit by the candles as he raised his glass to toast.  I’d wear my hair in the elaborate fashion of the day, done up high on my head, and wear a deep emerald satin gown with long white gloves, the very picture of stylish elegance to do him proud. We’d sip sweet wine all the while knowing that we’d soon walk upstairs, hand in hand, to retire to our bedroom together . . .

 

The kettle screamed from the kitchen and my dream snapped open.  Back in reality, I hurried to quell the noise. I was not bold enough after all and took my dinner in the kitchen, where I belonged, nursing my tea and my lonely heart.  I busied busied myself tidying up and completing my nightly chores so I would be left free to explore, unhindered.

 

+++

 

I started my hunt in my master’s bedroom with a giddy excitement.  Slipping into his chambers with the gathering darkness, I pulled back a curtain to welcome in the last feathering of dusk to aid my search.

 

It was bittersweet to be in his private chambers without him there.  I could almost draw in his phantom shape in the bed as my memory and wishful thinking yearned to place him back where he belonged.  I hurried myself in opening drawers and flipping through his papers for any clue as to the mystery of his affliction.

 

I found nothing damning.  There were several ticket stubs for shows, some of them of a seemingly notorious nature, at a theatre called the Finalizer Cabaret and receipts and notes from his private club, the First Order, but nothing else of interest.

 

His dresser held no other secrets, although I did pause to lean into his dress shirts and close my eyes and inhale.  The scent of Dr. Solo– his cologne and aftershave, old books and oiled leather, smoke and spice– was a welcome comfort.

 

I carried on with my exploration, driven to understand the mystery.  My next destination was forbidden, but lured me as a siren.

 

Dr. Solo’s study.

 

+++

 

It was fully dark by the time I walked back downstairs.  I carried a candlestick to light my way through the shadows.

 

Once I entered Dr. Solo’s study, I considered momentarily lighting a fire, but decided it too risky.  The ashes would only be more evidence of my trespass against his wishes.

 

Sitting in his high-backed leather chair, I sighed and began opening drawers.  At first I encountered only scattered papers, case files, handwritten notes. I found his leather medical satchel in the bottom drawer, filled with implements of his trade such as a stethoscope and other doctor’s tools.  Then I crossed to the next deepest drawer of the desk and found his leather container of vials and tonics.

 

I set it on the desk for closer inspection, remembering his behavior that day he seemed ill.  Most had labels that were handwritten in his careful cursive, with codes that I could not hope to decipher.  Some said “morn” and “night” and such, arranged by some method that eluded me. There were several dark amber vials that were marked with a word that chilled me to the marrow:   _KR._

 

 _Mister Kylo Ren._  Without second thought, I took one of the vials and slipped it into a hidden pocket under my skirts.  Perhaps I could learn more of this serum or its effects. I would at least endeavor to try.

 

I sealed up the rest and placed them back in the drawer.  I continued my investigation, but found the next drawer was locked.  Why– unless there was something of value contained within? Whatever it was, I must know.

 

Of course he would not leave the key in plain sight.  I looked around the room rather fruitlessly, thinking of where the master might hide it.  As I walked along the bookshelves staring at the antiquated volumes, I halted. I turned back and quickly read the names until I found the volume that I sought.

 

Something of value should be held by something you value.  I found my quarry: John Milton’s _Paradise Lost._ I flipped through the pages until a small bronze key fell with a clatter to the floor.

 

Scooping it up with a smile, I left the volume open on the desk.  The key met the lock and turned with a click. Inside was the same blood red journal I had previously spied.  I drew the candle closer and began to read the innermost thoughts of Dr. Benjamin Solo.

 

+++

 

_How to begin to describe this strange experiment?  How can a man as flawed and broken as myself humbly attempt a task so monumental, or even think himself worthy?_

 

_Man has for too long been trapped by our own nature.  Longing for heaven, yet captured by the vices of hell.  Seeking enlightenment, yet bound to earthly sin and temptation that destroy even the strongest of hearts._

 

_What I seek to achieve is nothing short of a miracle.  Breaking the bondage of cruel morality, to separate the crudest desires from our noblest aims, so that man could truly taste freedom.  It is no small task, yet one that could save countless souls and ease untold suffering._

 

_Why should I attempt such a thing?  Because I know well the heavy burden of sin and evil, and what a curse it is to those who long to be good._

 

_After that terrible night, after I had lost what it was to be whole forever, I could feel the tear of my own soul being rended in half.  Darkness filled the spaces where light had left me. I cannot allow others to suffer as my mother and I had. I must seek out a solution to the problem of sin on earth._

 

_I must separate the man from the monster._

 

_+++_

 

The front door rattled on its hinges and I jerked up from the page.  I could hear the sound of locks turning.

 

My heart began to pound in my chest, very much aware that I was all alone now in the Manor.  Dr. Solo was being cared for in the hospital. Perhaps Maz had come home early after all, or maybe the Tico girls?  I swallowed and quickly stuffed the journal back in the drawer, turning the key.

 

As I moved to replace the key in the volume, a certain dark fear rose like a spider crawling in my scalp and with it a morbid certainty.

 

There was only one creature who would come calling this late at night.

 

_Mr. Ren._

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I write 2.7 K words of a cat-and-mouse-chase leading into dubious/gross smut?  
> Yes, I did.
> 
> Enjoy, my darling heathens.

I raced to the shelf to replace the book where I had found it, the key safely tucked inside.  The creak of the hinge was followed by the front door slamming, and I flinched and almost dropped the book on the floor, my hands shook so badly.

 

The bolt turned and locked into place with a click.  There were no voices or merry laughter.  I knew it could only be one person, and I was trapped.

 

What would he do to me in revenge for the scar?  I did not know, nor did I wish to discover.

 

My breath came shallow and quick.  Hurrying back to the desk, I pulled open drawers until I found the satchel and hunted for something to arm myself.  I found what I needed: a surgeon’s folding scalpel, the slim metal blade tucked into a tortoiseshell-inlaid handle.

 

Heavy heels clacked slowly along the parquet floors, and I slid open the blade with quivering fingers.  I quickly blew out the candle and was plunged into inky darkness. My heartbeat flew faster than a hummingbird’s wings.  Blind as my eyes struggled to adjust, my free hand tapped a clumsy path along the edge of the desk until I found the wall.  I pressed my back to it, standing behind the open door, as my ears strained to listen.

 

The footsteps stopped in the hallway.  I heard a heavy exhale, almost a sigh.

 

“Hello, Sweetness,” he sung out, loudly calling to me.  “Did you miss me? Oh, how I’ve missed you.”

 

Mr. Ren’s deep voice reverberated off the walls and deep in my chest.  I bit my lip in shock. How did he leave the hospital? Was he really the same man as my master?

 

His footsteps resumed.  He was hunting for me, flushing me out of hiding, like a fox with a rabbit.  I would not fall prey so easily.

 

“Don’t be afraid, kitten.  I’m not mad about the _scratch_ .”  I could almost taste the bitter sarcasm in his tone.  “I like it fierce. All the better when I make you _purr_ for me.”

 

He moved toward the kitchen.  I swallowed thickly, trying to contain my fear, as his patience waned with the last light of day.  The house was slowly sinking into darkness around us.

 

“Come out, come out, wherever you are."

 

I peeked out past the door frame, but it was too dark to see.  Only his voice gave his location away. I must get away before he found me.

 

“I’m bored, little one, I want to play a new game.  This one’s called– _I can make you scream_.”  

 

I shivered at his intensity.  I prepared myself to bolt for my room.  His brute strength was too much for me, but I was fast and could perhaps out-run him.  I also had the blade.

 

Mr. Ren stopped talking and the silence swelled.  With no footsteps or sound to track him, it was like he became invisible.  He could be anywhere. Cold dread settled in my bones and the animal urge to flee screamed from deep within with every passing moment of silence.  I gripped the scalpel in a tight fist and closed my eyes, saying a silent prayer.

 

Then I ran.  

 

Bursting through the door of the study, I made a straight line for the front stairwell, my most direct route to the second level.  I took the stairs two at a time and had just hit the landing when I spun to my right to head to my room.

 

That’s where he caught me.

 

Arms as strong and thick as tree branches wrapped around my waist and I screeched as my legs flew into the air.  He laughed at my futile attempts to kick and twist out of his grip, just squeezing me in tighter to his broad chest.

 

His laugh turned into a howl of pain and fury when I sliced through his sleeve.  He dropped me abruptly and the blade flew from my hand on impact. I rolled onto my hands, feet slipping up under me, as I took off running in the opposite direction towards my master’s room.

 

I was fast, but not fast enough.  As I turned to slam the door, he wedged a thick black boot in the jam and kicked it open.  I squealed and stepped back away from him, panting and wide-eyed.

 

_What would he do to me now?_

 

Mr. Ren advanced slowly, golden eyes flashing in the near darkness as his lips curled into a sinister grin.     

 

“That was rude, and no way to treat a guest.”  

 

I retreated back in the twilight, not letting him out of my sight.  

 

“Didn’t your Master tell you to be hospitable to me?”

 

He sauntered in like a lion, licking his lips, looking me up and down.  The rising moon shone through the opened curtain and gave his pallid skin an eerie glow.  

 

I found my voice as I retreated.  “Dr. Solo told me to lock my door to stay safe from you.”

 

He shook his head.  “That’s just because he was afraid you’d prefer me over him.”

 

I scowled, stepping back to put more space between us. _“Never.”_

 

“Tsk, tsk, such a fierce kitten.  All claws and teeth.” He advanced and bared his own sharp teeth at me.  I started to tremble as he closed in and my thighs hit the back of the bed.

 

He grinned down at me.  “I’ll have to bite you by the scruff to teach you a lesson.”

 

Mr. Ren wore the same dark bandage on his cheek that my master had received in hospital.  He was definitely the same man, yet also _not,_ as if Dr. Solo’s body was haunted by another creature.  He was both man and monster at once.

 

Ren shrugged off his jacket and dropped it to the floor as he walked.  His white shirt sleeve was stained crimson from my cut. I had sliced him down to the flesh.

 

“Wh–what are you going to do me?”  I asked, struggling to contain the nervous pitch of my voice.

 

He trapped me against the bed.  His hands darted out and grabbed my waist, thumbs digging into my hip bones as he curved over me.  I turned my head and closed my eyes.

 

Hot breath tickled my neck.  “What do you _want_ me to do you, Rey?” he whispered.

 

I shivered as goosebumps bloomed on my skin.  His nose traced the line of my jaw and I felt a prickling sensation on the back of my neck and between my thighs.

 

 _“Please,”_ I managed to say, breathless.  “Please don’t hurt me.”

 

He chuckled in my ear.  “Why would I hurt you, little one?”

 

I drew back to look at him, daring myself to meet his eyes and to see for myself the demented gleam there.  “You said you would make me scream.”

 

“And I will,” he said, grasping my jaw between his fingers.  A thumb dragged along my lower lip as he watched. “That’s a promise.  But you’ll _beg_ me to.”

 

I stared up at him as my heart fluttered.  His countenance was a cruel mockery of the kindness I adored in my master, but held its own dark allure.  My body began to thrum in excitement against my will, his dangerous energy setting me alight.

 

Ren’s hand clutched my hip and he planted his full lips on my neck.  I sucked in air at the wet heat and swayed as he held me tighter.  His mouth on my body felt decadent, forbidden.

 

This was my master’s mouth, also.  The same body.  The same soul, even, although it was cleaved in two.  A realization hit me like a lightning strike.

 

I could have them both.  If I unlocked the mystery of the monster, I could save my master.  If they shared the same body and soul, then sating Mr. Ren’s crude hungers would keep Dr. Solo safe.  Maybe the only way to defeat Mr. Ren was to yield to him.

 

He kissed along my neck and the throbbing heat between my thighs grew.  I couldn’t deny anymore my desire.  My fingers on their own volition weaved into his long locks to find purchase.  Ren felt me responding as I arched my back into him and he hummed against my neck, gloating.  Before I realized it, he had lowered me to the mattress and followed me down.

 

His hips pressed down on mine and I gasped, surprised at the very size of him and his dense heat.  He rolled his hips against mine, and I felt the hot prod of his length jab my stomach.  My mind spun, all my senses overloaded and confused by him.

 

“Such a pretty girl,” he smiled.  “Look at you squirm.  It was worth the chase to pin you down.”

 

Golden eyes flickered up to mine, hungry and fierce, eager to drink in my reaction to his touch.  He planted his massive hands beside my head and pressed down on me, rolling his hips into mine over and over as he watched me respond.  I couldn’t seem to catch my breath, he stole it away as he pinned me down and used my body for his gratification.  I had to open my legs to make room for him, and he burrowed his way in between.

 

My body began to mirror his, rocking in time to his rhythm, trying to reach for his firm length with my own tingling softness.

 

“That’s it.  Feel it,” he whispered in a lush voice.  My eyelids fluttered as he dropped to kiss and bite on my throat.  A strangled moan escaped my lips. He whispered into my ear, “Chase it.  Give in.”

 

His hands greedily to pushed my skirts up above my waist.  My skin was flushed and hot, the friction of our bodies and his fiery skin burned me up.  Now only the thin layer of my drawers kept us apart.  A shifting of his pants and I could feel his iron length dragging along my thigh.  He moved again and it hit my wet center and a cry slipped from lips.

 

He plunged his cock between my legs and I whimpered at the rub.  He covered my mouth with his own to swallow my cries. A huge hand covered my breast and it was suddenly all too much– his hot length between my thighs, his hungry lips on mine, his hand claiming me.  My body was wound up as tightly as a coil, moving faster and faster to meet his, as he took what he wanted from me, and I happily gave it.

 

The fat head of his cock dragged along my entrance until it caught near the top.  He worked against me and my pleasure built and built until I finally snapped taut and bucked against him.  My climax ripped through me as his hand clenched on my breast to press me down to the mattress.  He only released my mouth when the wave had passed.  

 

He gripped his cock and pumped himself desperately until he climaxed on my thighs, panting and grunting above me.

 

As I slowly caught my breath, dazed, he rolled me over onto my stomach, soft as a rag doll.  If I thought the encounter was over, I was gravelly mistaken.

 

“Now my little kitten is purring.  I can smell your sweet cum.”  He began to unbutton the small pearls leading down my spine as I blinked on the bed.  He placed kisses and nips on the skin he revealed as he whispered filthy promises.  “Soft and ready for me.  I’m going to drink you down.”

 

He stripped me of my blouse and then pulled down my skirts, tossing them off the bed.  He rolled me back over, dressed only in my drawers and camisole.  My eyes grew wide in the moonlight to look at him– strong jaw set, eyes glittering, mouth parted in anticipation.  He looked feral, all predator, and I felt a rising stupor at knowing I was his prey.  He would devour me whole and I would welcome it all.  

 

The lust was a new and heady thing, and it was intoxicating to release myself to it.

 

He eyed me.  “Take this off.  All of it.”

 

I couldn’t think to not comply.  Giving in was easy, and now his will was the same as mine.  Whatever doubts I had seemed to wash away under the strength of his certainty and need.  Crossing my arms, I pulled the camisole over my head, revealing my bare breasts.  His eyes dropped to them and then soon after that his plush mouth.

 

He took a tip in between his lips and I moaned.  No one had ever touched me so intimately. I threw my head back and and closed my eyes at the enflaming touch, his tongue circling and flicking at my point.  It was so much, almost too much, but I craved even more.  With a wet sound, he let my tit fall from his lips and searched my face while taking the other in his mouth.  He studied me and how his ministrations made me tremble and moan for him.  He looked arrogant and prideful, like I’d done a trick just for him, his golden eyes keeping me pinned as he sucked me in deeper.

 

He slid me out of his mouth and my wet flesh grew cold in the night air.  I was panting, my arousal so urgent that it drove me almost mad.

 

“Take this off,” he tugged disdainfully at my drawers.

 

I complied, lifting my hips off the bed to slide them down.  Once they slid off my ankles, he captured my bottom in his palms and held me open as he settled between my thighs.  He held me up like he was settling into a feast and then opened his mouth to consume me, wicked eyes gleaming.

 

 _And, oh, how he consumed me._  His lips were tender and pleading, his tongue firm and insistent, he sliced through my dripping flesh, tearing me to pieces. My thighs were trembling and I gripped the bedsheets in two firm fists as I wrestled with the mounting pressure.  I bowed my spine for him, a wet mess, as he drew tight circles around my entrance, eager to open up and offer him everything.   

 

“Sweet as sugar,” he murmured to my skin.  “I knew you would be.  Just for me,  _all mine._ ”

 

I whined and he continued his attentions, pressing the tip of thick finger inside.  I nearly sobbed at the fill of it, mind lost in the sensations, so new and demanding.

 

“I like it when you mewl for me.  Your sweet cunt is all mine, kitten,” he said as he lapped me up.  “No one else.  Say it.”

 

 _“Yes,”_ I answered mindlessly, his tongue making me a slave to his filthy words.

 

“Tell me you’re mine.”

 

 _“I am yours,”_ I answered, closing my eyes.  Now it could be Dr. Solo’s tongue on me as I gave myself over to fantasy.

 

“Now beg me.  Beg me to make you come.”

 

“Please, _Please,”_ I said.  His finger delved deeper and I clenched down on it, desperate in my pursuit of pleasure.

 

“Scream for me.”  He added a second finger and began sawing into me as his tongue whipped at my clit.  I threw back my head and came with a cry, drawing his fingers in deeper as my body wrapped around him and pulsed.  The explosion of white, hot ecstasy was nearly blinding in its brightness.

 

I fell back to the bed, completely undone.  

 

Ren rose up and lurked over me like a storm cloud.  He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and knelt between my knees.  He stripped off his shirt, wiping his dripping chin and then the bloody cut on his arm with it, then tossing it away.  His nude chest was a majesty of muscle and strength.  My eyes couldn't draw away from it until he pushed down his pants below his narrow hips, and I saw his manhood revealed for the first time.  He was all man, thick and intimidating, and my mouth fell open.  

 

My eyes met his, in all likelihood revealing my trepidation, and he smiled as he loomed closer.  He was nearly vibrating with victory and my hands landed on his chest to brace myself for what was to come.

 

“Don’t be afraid, Sweetness.  We have all night.”

 

That was precisely what I was afraid of.

  



	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, boy, is this filthy! Part 2 of their night together.
> 
> Not safe for work or karate.
> 
> Please enjoy, they sure did! :D

My eyes were affixed firmly on his swollen manhood, flushed dark red as it moved up my quivering body.  Ren looked down upon me, smug as Moses. 

 

“What’s the matter, Sweetness?  You’ve never seen a man bare as Adam?”

 

I shook my head as trepidation clutched at my throat.  His cock looked quite alien and intimidating. I knew what it was supposed to do, where it was supposed _ to go _ , but it seemed nary impossible.

 

Ren attempted to appease me.  “Nothing to fear, Little One. Your body was made for this.”  His heavy hand pawed at my breast and then slid down my ribs to the curve of my waist.

 

“You’re soft and ready to be taken now.”

 

A tremulous mix of anxiety and lust rose in my blood.  He attempted to spread my thighs open, but my muscles clenched in protest.

 

He frowned.  “Now, now. You were just begging for me a moment ago.”

 

I looked up at him, mouth agape.  He was a veritable colossus above me, all hulking muscle and strength.  I felt as fragile as glass. 

 

He cocked a golden eye at me.  His smile grew wicked. “My Little One is shy.  Come, you just need to be better acquainted.”

 

Strong arms pulled me up to sitting as he kneeled on either side of my legs.  I was now eye to eye with his iron cock. He wrapped his fingers around it and pumped slowly.  I watched, mesmerized, as the thin skin of his shaft shifted up and down in his grip.

 

“Give it a kiss, Sweetness.  It won’t bite.”

 

I blinked up at him.  I was curious, it was true, and the heated look in his eyes set my loins ablaze.  I leaned forward and his musky flavor filled my senses, manly and tantalizing. I held his hips as he pumped himself in his hand.  I placed a chaste kiss on the very tip.

 

His skin was surprisingly soft, like velvet.  I watched in amazement as a small, white drop formed on the head, like a small pearl.

 

Ren’s breath grew ragged.  “Ah, your mouth is sinful. Look what you’ve done to me.” 

 

His words, and the desire that laced through them, cast a spell on me, in the same way that my mouth had seemed to cast a spell upon him.  I felt a dark pull to please him, to give him the same sweet ecstasy that he had given me, to become his master with my mouth. I licked my lips and bent forward again.

 

“Lick it,” he urged, voice desperate and rough.  His other hand combed into my hair to assist. As if in a trance, I stuck out my tongue and swiped at the fluid.  It was salty and rich, an unusual texture, but not offensive. He groaned in pleasure and so I did it again.

 

His fingertips gripped my scalp, and on my next pass he breached my lips and pressed the hot tip inside.  I squeaked in surprise and attempted to pull back, but he held me steady and chuckled.

 

“Shh.  Open wider, love,’’  He exhaled, “Be a good girl.” 

 

I sputtered around his cock, and he withdrew enough to let me catch my breath before thrusting back in.  I didn’t pull away, curious and driven by the animal sounds he was making, that _ I had caused  _ him to make.  I relaxed my tongue and followed his rhythm as he plundered my mouth.  It was a strange sensation, and I wasn’t sure if I liked it, but his grunts made me look up at him.

 

The adoration and hunger in his eyes was dizzying.  He looked at me as if I had hung the stars and moon itself in the heavens, as if I were a goddess made manifest on earth.  It was a heady feeling. I found myself sucking him down deeper to watch his full lips twitch and hear his decadent groans.

 

“Yes,  _ Maker, _ your mouth was made to be fucked,” he spit out, and heat blossomed between my thighs at his filthy musings.  He thrust faster, his cock throbbing on my tongue as his hips rocked up to me. I held on to his waist and closed my eyes to focus on being a vessel for him to use.  Yet I liked it.

 

Ren suddenly pulled out and I gasped as he held my head steady.  He exploded, hot streams of his creamy seed splashed onto my breasts and neck as he cursed.

 

When he was through he released my hair to rub his spend onto my breast.  It was sticky and warm, and my nipples spiked under his touch.

 

“My sweet, innocent lamb,” he said, watching his hand as circled.  “What a precious gift it is to ruin you.”

 

His words barely permeated my mind, which was so addled with desire.  Ren gently released me to lay me back on the bed. He lifted his hand to my mouth and his thumb played with my lower lip.  I could taste his salt and spend, and when he plunged his thumb inside I turned my head to suck on it.

 

As I did, his other hand slid between my legs and found me absolutely drenched for him.

 

“Good girl.”  He played with my slit and I whimpered around his thumb.  “I may not fuck you tonight, it would be sweeter to wait. Let you ripen.”

 

A thick finger slid inside my cunt and I gasped, and his thumb in my mouth slid in deeper, as well.  

 

“Too bad I don’t share, I’d very much like to see you suck a cock while taking one.  But I’d have to slit the throat of any man who touched you, and that’s messy.”

 

He stroked me and I sucked on his thumb, as if the two points of pleasure were connected somehow.  He added another finger to my pussy and I whimpered.

 

“So tight.”  He nipped on my collarbone, his cum was cool and drying on my skin.  “Your virgin cunt is heaven. I’ll break you in for me, take it as my own.”

 

His thumb began circling my tight bud as his thick fingers entered me.  I arched my back, clenching and rocking along with the notes of pleasure he was plucking in my body as they built up to a crescendo.  The wet sounds of his ministrations filled the room.

 

Ren smiled down at me.  In the dark, the shadows played with his features, flashing the visage of my sweet master as a trick of light.  Would Dr. Solo ever be as bold or masterful as his dark counterpart in moments of desire? Would I ever get the chance to discover?  

 

My eyelids fluttered and Ren’s smile grew.

 

“Oh, but I like to hear your music, Sweetness.  Sing for me.”

 

I moaned wantonly, from deep in my throat, arching into his hand.

 

“Beg me some more.  You’re so pretty when you beg.”  

 

_ “Please,  _ Sir, oh please.”

 

He grinned.  “What do you want?  You must ask nicely.”

 

“Oh, please, release me.   _ Please.” _

 

“You want to come, little one?”

 

“Yes, yes,  _ please.” _

 

“As you wish.”

 

He removed his hand and I wailed in misery, until he replaced it with his mouth.  Thus positioned between my legs, two fingers resumed their fill and his other hand squeezed my breast.  I cried out as he pinched my nipple.

 

The sharp twist made the pleasure he drew out of me that much sweeter.  He played my body like an instrument until I finally broke and sang out in a chorus of ecstasy, my voice sounding as much in pain as it was in pleasure to my own ears, waves breaking through me under his tongue.

 

I melted into the bed a sweaty and wrecked mess of nerves, legs twitching in the aftermath.  Ren fell to the bed beside me and shocked me by rolling my useless limbs on top of him and holding me in tight embrace.  He wrapped a blanket around us as his spend stuck to our skin, bonding us in our unspoken acts of debauchery.

 

I could hear his heart beating solidly under my cheek.  He was not a demon, he was a man, despite prior evidence to the contrary.  I was sure that this heart was the same one that I held so dear, that of my kind and tortured Master.  I would save them both.

 

The dark night sky was beginning to grow grey with the first promise of morning.  I was too weak to move and soon felt sleep begin to overtake me. My final thought before slumber was what would the morning light find when it crept through my Master’s curtains?

 

Whose arms would I find holding me?


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four months! Yikes. Where did the time go?!
> 
> Thanks for sticking by this story, my delicious heathens! Please enjoy this mostly smutty interlude before plot properly progresses.
> 
> TW: Imaginary Breylo threesome. Heh Heh.

I sighed under the heavy blankets.  My eyes opened to the cobweb-grey light of early morning.  A cold draft crept between the layers of bedding, and I shivered and nestled myself in deeper.  Chin tucked on fists, I exhaled happily feeling as cozy and swaddled as an infant.

 

I startled as a heavy arm slung across my waist and dragged me back against a wall of heat.  My eyes shot open, and I remembered.  

 

I was in my master’s bed.  

 

The first blush of sunrise glowed behind the heavy curtains.  My breath caught in my chest as I took in the fact that I was still as bare as a babe and pressed against the chest of my Master.

 

Was it Dr. Solo or Mr. Ren behind me?  I had no way of knowing yet.  

 

My heartbeat raced like a stallion.  We were all alone in the manor.  Everyone was not returning until the evening.  The thought made me both nervous and excited.  Whoever it was behind me, there was no one to interrupt us, either way.

 

What should I do?  Should I return to my room before he awoke?  How would my master react if he found me in his bed?  How would Mr. Ren?   

 

Warm breath made the fine hairs skip on the back of my neck.  I slipped my hands down to try to dislodge his arm and instead found his thigh in my grasp.  It was taut and dense, and a current of excitement buzzed through my veins.  I turned slowly to brave a glance over my shoulder at the man holding me.

 

His handsome face was restful in slumber.  The scar was still wrapped in black tape, although it looked less red today.  Long lashes rested on his pale cheek, and his plush lips were slightly parted.  I could only gaze upon him, either a sleeping angel or devil, and in either case he was beautiful.

 

I realized the precarious position in which I put myself when he tugged me closer in his dream state.  A thigh pressed between my own to draw me into his wide chest. I turned my cheek against his firm chest to listen to his heart beat solid and true under my ear. 

 

One heart, yet two men.  

 

After last night, I could no longer deceive myself that I didn’t find both alluring.  My pure affections and hope for the future rested with my kind master, Dr. Solo, but I could not deny that the monster Ren ignited my dark passions.  Here, held fast in his arms, I realized a scandalous truth– I wanted both.

 

It was a greedy desire, as many desires are, but what church or temple could call it a sin to want two paramours if they shared the same body?  Did we all not contain multitudes and secret, guilty passions that were only revealed under the twinkling stars?  

 

I luxuriated in the feel of his hot skin pressed to mine.  His manhood slowly rose and bloomed firm against my stomach.  _Oh my._ Having been well-met already last night, a fresh heat burned between my legs.  

 

My hips rocked forward as his fingertips squeezed my hip to hold me.  His lips parted with a breath as I watched. Now that I knew the secret of his nocturnal activities, it was no wonder to me that he was so difficult to rouse in the morning.  By the feel of it, his cock had no similar restrictions as it pressed into my stomach.  I wondered just how deep his slumber truly was and what it would take to wake him.

 

I looked up at his cheek.  The scar was a stark reminder that whatever happened to one man’s body happened to both.  That meant the debauchery of last night was indeed shared by master, even if he did not realize it.  I had given him pleasure, then, and him to me.  We were united in this strange dance of carnality, even if Mister Ren was the one choosing the music.

 

I couldn’t help kissing lightly under his jaw, tempting my fate.  A sweet smile flickered to his sleeping lips.  Was it my imagination that it was more gentle of a countenance than Ren could muster?  Could it be this was indeed my master now?  The thought made me tingle with happiness, yet also fear.  The words of Dr. Ren rang in my ears from memory:  _“I wouldn’t tell your master of our playtime.  He wouldn’t understand, and may think you loose, just a little slut.”_

 

Would he?  My stomach sank heavy.  I couldn’t risk losing the admiration of the man for which I cared so much.  I must make my escape.

 

I pressed one last gentle kiss to his chin.  _“Rey,”_ his sleeping voice murmured, deep and sultry, as I wiggled away.  It almost hurt me to leave his warm embrace.  I quickly slipped out of the sheets and scurried about the room quiet and quick as a mouse to gather my clothing.  I flew back to my room on tiptoes with my heart in my throat before he could wake and see me.

 

As soon as I locked my door, I leaned against it.  Fingertips pressed lightly to my lips. I could still smell him, taste him even, on my skin.  He awakened in me such a passion that my body nearly burned with the need to be touched. The vision of him down the hall, cock rising for me, was impossible to resist.

 

Fingers on my lips, I lay on my bed as my other hand cupped my womanhood.  I stroked through hot flesh as my tongue darted to my fingers to taste traces of him.

 

I closed my eyes and fell into a fantasy.  

 

_I’m back in my Master’s bed.  Dr. Solo is kissing my neck tenderly.  Warm and loving hands smooth over my curves, cupping and squeezing my waist and ass, my breasts.  “You’re so beautiful, Rey,” he whispers, soft fingers and kisses landing on my skin. He rolls me over and carefully guides me to my hands and knees.  I’m an obedient sheep for him, led by her shepherd. “Let me worship you like you deserve.” Dr. Solo tends to me with his lush mouth and fingers, licking my pussy until I am trembling and imploring him to fill me up._

 

The thought of his soft lips between my thighs had me moaning on my bed in the morning light.  I circled the sensitive pearl at the top of my mound and rocked my hips as the fantasy continued–

 

_My Master’s bedroom door flies open, and Mr. Ren saunters in like a dark prince.  He walks up to the bedside and watches me as I moan in need. His golden eyes heat me all over.  He watches me, licking his lips, as Dr. Solo works me over with his mouth and I arch my back._

 

_Unbuttoning his trousers, Mr. Ren moves closer.  “Look at you, my darling whore.  So greedy for a cock.  Open your mouth for me, Sweetness.  Be a good girl.”_

 

_I do as he says, dutiful in my lusty daze.  He takes out his heavy cock and strokes the salty tip on my parted lips._

 

In my room alone, I sucked my fingers into my mouth wanting it to be him.  My other hand swirled faster through slick skin.  I wanted nothing more in that moment to be completely filled by Dr. Solo and Mr. Ren, everywhere and all at once, although it was an impossibility except for in my filthy mind. 

 

_“That’s it, little one, take me deeper.  You know you can,” Mr. Ren urges me on. “That sinful mouth was made to be fucked.”_

_Dr. Solo kneels and enters me from behind, his thick girth stretching me deliciously.  He strokes my ass tenderly and thrusts as I gasp around the cock in my mouth. I’m overwhelmed and absolutely consumed– to my great delight.  Ravished by both._

 

The thought of having both inside me sent me soaring to new heights.  I whimpered and slipped my fingers into my aching cunt, circling the nub with my thumb as I tried to approximate the fill.  My legs stretched out long, muscles flexing as toes curled, squeezing and clenching tighter.  

 

I sucked my fingers for the last salty traces of my Master and imagined it was his thick cock down my throat.  Eyelids shut, I fell over completely into my dark fantasy of having two delicious men ravage me until I exploded with passion.

 

When I came, I squealed around my own fingers and bucked on my empty bed.  My skin was nearly electrified by the taboo and depravity of my soul.  As my breath slowed gradually, I feared the shame would return like the tide to wash over me.  But instead, I felt only a sweet relief.

 

With new resolution, I stood up and dressed.  I would wake Dr. Solo with his breakfast and see where the day would lead.

 

For I had decided.  Despite all my moral failings and my wanton soul, which should certainly damn me to hell if there was indeed such a place, I felt certain of one thing:  I would make at least one of those men my own forever, if not both.  



	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ask and ye shall receive, my sweet darlings! This fic was winning in my Twitter poll of "what shall I update next." Follow me on @newerconstella1 to have your voice heard.
> 
> Oh, the sweet angst for our darling boy. Whatever will Mr. Ren do when he returns? Perhaps he does not like sharing Rey's heart. Heh heh.
> 
> ____________
> 
> Trigger warning: reference to past alcoholism, whoring, gambling and carousing. Canon compliant death from drunk carriage driving. Worry of potential self-harm.
> 
> Tags will continue to update.

I balanced the breakfast tray on my hip and exhaled a heavy breath to steady my nerves.  I waited outside his chamber door, training my features into a smile. I mustn't leer or ogle the body that I knew so well now and yearned to touch.  The door creaked open. 

 

I was shocked to find his sheets a tangle and the bed empty.  Dr. Solo was gone. A quick check of the manor confirmed my fear that I was all alone.

 

Where had he gone?

 

The food went uneaten to the kitchen as I finished my daily chores in the looming quiet of the house.  Uncertainty gnawed in my gut. Why had he left? Did he remember our nocturnal activities and seek an escape?  Or did he hear me this morning, and wish to avoid a scandal? Doubts swirled like dark clouds in my mind.

 

It was hours until Maz and the Tico girls returned that evening.  I was left idle with an anxious mind. I decided to investigate his study further.

 

Looking over my shoulder, I stepped inside and tucked the door closed behind me.  The desk was even messier than I recalled. The ashes in the hearth hadn’t been cleaned for days.  I made careful steps to avoid leaving any traces.

 

His journal was under loose leaves of paper with strange calculations and mathematics that I couldn’t decipher.  I flipped through the pages to the most recent entry.

 

____________

 

_“Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.”_

 

_John Milton’s words strike my heart solid and deep.  Ever since that fated night, when the dark evil in me was set free on this Earth, I have sought to eradicate it entirely from my soul._

 

_My poor father.  He attempted to reach for me and turn me away from my depravity, but it was too late.  He suffered dearly for his compassion. That cruel nature that I have carried within me for so long seems woven to my very fiber and cannot be split apart from it.  My entire life, from my mother’s womb, I have carried this dark and heavy secret. Despite my parents’ best intentions and efforts, it could not be cleaved from my heart and only grew as my body did.  This thirst, this hunger for sin is a part of me. Yea, I am a monster, for only a monster could have such cravings and desires that would make the good and honest blanch. Such horrors I hold in my heart, such insatiable hunger and need, that the sweet and tender women of this world should not be burdened or ruined by my sin._

 

_I must kill it, before it kills me.  I must rip this darkness from my soul.  Only then shall I be what I was meant to be– pure of mind and heart._

 

_I must separate the man from the monster once and for all.  And if it is painful, then I deserve that pain._

 

_It is penance for killing my father._

 

____________

 

I jerked away from the page in shock and covered my mouth with a hand.  I stepped back as if the words themselves may strike me.

 

It couldn’t be.  My sweet Dr. Solo a murderer?  Impossible.

 

The study door slowly opened with a whine and my wide eyes flew to the doorway to see him standing at the door.

 

He looked wrecked.  His long face was bloodless, the dark bandage covering the scar was a contrast to his pallor.  Dark bags hung heavy under his eyes like bruises. I felt the sadness and pain I saw in his eyes as if it were a knife in my own heart.

 

I lowered my hand from my mouth.  “Sir, you are unwell–”

 

His eyebrows raised.  “Do you not fear me, Rey?” he asked, dark eyes penetrating me on examination.

 

My chin raised as I met his stare with my own.  “No, I do not.”

 

His eyes dropped to the page left open on the desk.  “You should. After reading everything that you have, you should.”

 

So he knew, then.  He knew I had read his journal pages.  I clasped my hands in front of my waist and took a step closer to him.

 

“I’m not afraid of you, sir.  You are kind. You are good–”

 

He flinched as if I had hurt him.  “No. No, I am not, Rey. I’m a monster–”

 

“Sir, don’t say such things.”  I was emboldened to take lurch forward to take his hands in mine.  I quelled the tremors with the strength of my grasp. “I see you. I know you for who you are, and you’re beautiful.”

 

He laughed, mirthless and bitter.  His eyes dropped to the ground and mine swelled with tears.  

 

“Don’t you want to know how I killed my father?”

 

A lump formed in my throat and stole my voice.  I feared the answer, even as I needed to know.

 

His eyes squeezed closed as if the memory caused him agony.  “I was a terrible son, you see. Willful, full of lust and sin, drinking and gambling late into the night at University.  They were to expel me from my studies after I was found time and again out of my wits in a whore house.”

 

I flinched but would not release his warm hands from mine.  I must know.

 

“I only answered the call of hate and lust, Rey.  Fights, money, drink and women. My family disowned me, and I fell further into dishonor.  Until one night, my father showed up on my doorstep to bring me home. A moment of forgiveness that was his undoing.”

 

I grasped his fingers tighter in mine.  He could not meet my eyes, but I kept mine on his sweet face.

 

“I insisted on driving the carriage home despite being nearly mindless on scotch and wine.  Father told me to slow down, but I wouldn’t listen and on the wet streets . . . I lost control.”

 

His wet eyes bore into mine, dark and lost.  “I killed him, Rey.  My own depravity and weakness killed my father.  The pain I brought on my mother broke her heart, as surely as if I had killed her, too.  It’s a pain I can never be free from.  So you don’t know the real me.  No one does.”

 

A tear traced the line of his scar and he looked away from me.  Yet I held him firm. My palm cupped his jaw to turn him back to face me.  I could only match his truth with my own as all propriety fell away between us.  

 

“I do know you.  And I love you,” I whispered to his lips.

 

His wounded eyes met my gaze.  My own heart ached with the pain that wracked his frame. He was a man torn in two, his goodness and his sin in equal measure.  There was only one way to prove my intention and the depth of my understanding.

 

“I know Mister Ren,” I said simply, “and still I love you.”

 

His eyes grew wide and he stumbled back away from me, breaking my hold.  “No. It–It’s not possible.”

 

My resolution matched the ferocity of my gaze as I stepped forward to him boldy.  “I’m the one who gave you the scar on your cheek, Sir.”

 

He shook his head as if trying to unsettle my words from his mind.  “No, please Rey, no–”

 

“And I do not fear him– or you!”  I stepped closer yet as his fingers combed his hair away from his face.  Wild-eyed, his gaze flew about the room as if the truth was a torment.

 

His sweet voice broke.  “I beg– I begged you to lock your door!”

 

“Listen to me.  Doctor Solo, _Benjamin,_ please listen–”

 

The desperation in his eyes was unbearable.  “I cannot live with myself if he has tainted you, Rey.  My sun, my light.  I cannot stand it.”

 

My eyes welled with tears.  “Benjamin, we all have darkness inside us.  Please, let me help you–”

 

“No one can help me.  I must kill it, kill him,” he turned from me and ran from the room.

 

“No, wait!”  I cried and ran after him.

 

But it was too late.  The front door of the Solo Manor was open and the fading daylight shone through the veil of dusty haze.

 

I stood at the doorway as a sob escaped my throat.  What would my sweet Doctor do and how badly would he hurt himself to escape the pain inside him?

 

I fell to my knees in the fading daylight, wondering what the sundown would bring and if he would return to me, unharmed.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW obviously! Read this fic in public at your own risk from here on out!
> 
> TW: mention of potential self-harm and attempted suicide. Doesn't happen.
> 
> Tags will continue to update.
> 
> Happy heathen holidays! :D

The hours of worry were like lashes against my skin.  I walked the streets around the Manor, searching for him to no avail.  Then I paced the parquet floors, wringing my hands as tears drained down my cheeks.

 

I had meant to bring Benjamin comfort. Acceptance.  But his self-hatred was so deep, so etched into his morrow, that he took my sign of love as further recrimination.  I could barely breathe through the thick fog of guilt.

 

I took the vial of potion to the apothecary down the block to ask if he could make any sense of it.  He shook his head sadly and said he had never seen such a serum. Dr. Solo was such a brilliant physician and researcher, that whatever feat of medicine or magic he concocted was his alone.  I was disappointed but not surprised. I kept the vial close in the pocket of my skirts. Why? Perhaps it made me feel closer to understanding him, if I could unlock it’s mystery. Or perhaps I felt I needed insurance of some kind, just in case.

 

The grandfather clock in the dining room ticked down the minutes until sundown.  Alone, my worry grew with the late afternoon shadows.

 

The Tico girls and Maz both arrived home after sunset, laughing with good cheer.  I tried to smile to appease them, but Maz could see straight through my front and cornered me alone in the kitchen.

 

“What is the matter, girl?  Did something happen?” Her kind eyes crinkled at the corners.  I found it difficult to lie to her. She had known Dr. Solo since he was young and had known his parents.  But how much did she know of his secrets? I decided that I must have a confidant, and Mrs. Kanata was the closest to a mentor in the home.  I was as honest with her as I could manage without revealing too much.

 

“The Master was upset earlier.  He spoke of his father and his guilt.  He left suddenly, and I am worried for his safety.” 

Maz frowned.  She shook her head sadly.  “That was years ago, he was just a foolish and willful boy.  He’s paid dearly for his mistakes.”

 

“I tried to encourage him.  I told him he was kind and good, but it further upset him and he fled.”

 

She met my eyes gravely.  “He is battling demons that you can’t hope to understand.  You cannot fight them, he must do it. Dr. Solo must decide for himself his path in life.”

 

My lip quivered.  “I’m so frightened of–” I gulped back a sob, “of losing him.”  The depth of the emotion shocked me as much as it did her. My fear that he would harm himself as punishment weighed like an anvil on my soul.

 

She nodded.  “I’m going to make a call to the constable on my way home.  Ask them to pay special mind tonight to look for him.” She patted my hand.  “But dearie, there is nothing you can do for him now that you haven’t already.  Get some rest. I know the Master will return tomorrow. His better angels will call to him.”

 

His better angels.  If the demon in black with gold eyes doesn’t call to him first, I thought.  What trouble could Mr. Ren get my Master in tonight?

 

Maz smiled at me gently.  “You bring out the light in him, Rey.  I see it. You are a brave girl.”

 

I fell into the hug she offered and sobbed on her shoulder.  I must be brave, for Dr. Solo. If there were a demon on his back, then I would fight it with him, side by side.

 

______

 

Maz head for home after making preparations for the morning’s breakfast, and the Tico girls retired to the carriage house.  I was left alone in the Manor again.

 

I lit a candlestick and made my evening rounds.  Checking window and door locks, drawing curtains.  I lifted my skirts in my free hand to climb the main stairs slowly, and my eyes tracked to the front door as I rose step by step.  At any moment I expected him home. Yet it was dark and silent, and still no Master.

 

I passed by my own bedroom to head for his down the hall.  Time to close the curtains and draw back his coverlet for bed.  I picked out a pair of black silk sleep pants and lay them with care on his side.  Setting down the candlestick, I walked into the bathroom to check if he had fresh water in the pitcher by the sink.

 

As I walked back outside, I turned and let out a scream.

 

Etched out of the darkness was the silhouette of my Master in the bedroom doorway.  Behind him the moonlight from the hall cast a hazy glow. I could not make out his face, but the shape of his wide body was more than familiar.

 

“Oh, Sir, I was so worried.”  I hurried forward to him on the balls of my feet.  “All afternoon I feared–”

 

Golden, burning eyes caught mine and I froze.  The air turned to ice in my lungs.

 

“What, Sweetness?  That the fool had finally put himself out of his misery?”  Kylo Ren laughed, a deep rumble. “Of course not. He’s far too cowardly for that.”

 

My jaw dropped open as he sauntered toward me.  His very movements, like a panther on the prowl, were so different from Dr. Solo.  It was astounding, a type of dark miracle, that this creature shared the same skin.

 

“Oh, he did try.  Pathetic simpering on a bridge over the Thames woke me. How incredibly rude of him to try.”   He clucked his tongue in disapproval. “What a way to treat a guest.”

 

“Wha-what happened?”  I blurted out.

 

“I’m always watching him.  Deep down, I’m the set of eyes inside of his.  It’s only when he lets me rule the roost with one of his little potions that I’m truly free, but I’m always there.  Watching.”

 

Two inside one, like my fantasy.  Yet this was more of a nightmare. My skin crawled thinking of it.

 

“What sweet Benny Boy doesn’t realize is that in seeking to split us apart, he’s made it easier for me to take control.  The more often he takes those vials to kill me off, the nearer the surface I float. Now I can make the switch if I need to, and I certainly couldn’t let him kill us off.”  He scoffed. “Nothing sporting about that.”

 

Something in his tone scared me.  “He was upset and not thinking clearly.  Please don’t hurt him.” Was that even possible?  I had no idea.

 

Ren’s eyes grew wide and then he threw back his head in laughter.  “Oh, that’s rich. Are you defending him, little lamb? Trying to keep the dear Doctor safe from the big, bad wolf?”

 

He took heavy steps closer, prowling.  I crept back against the bed.

 

“You should be worried about yourself, sweet lamb.  The wolf is hungry.”

 

He snatched my hips and dragged me against his chest.  I held his shoulders to steady myself as he panted against my mouth.  I could feel just how hungry he was by the firm prod against my belly.

 

“Don’t think for a moment I don’t see how you look at him,” he murmured as his nose traced circles on my temple.  A tongue darted out to taste my skin, and my breath hitched. “All soft eyes and sighs.”

 

His hands snaked behind to cup my bottom and yank me into him.  “He’s not the one who makes you squeal though, is he? He’s not the one who will feast on your cunt until you cry?”

 

His filthy words were like a drug.  My head lolled to the side and he latched onto my throat, teeth scraping as he bit and kissed.  I tried to shake the truth of his words free from my mind, but I knew he was right. I loved the man, but I craved the monster.  

 

I could feel his agitation as he fumbled to lift up my skirts and his palms slid underneath.  Rough palms squeezed my ass through my drawers, and I let out a moan as he ground his prick against me.  He was clumsy, needy, with his movements growing frantic.

 

“No, no,” I struggled to worm out of his arms, “No, I wish to wait for marriage, no.”

 

Ren laughed again catching me and flipping me forward onto the mattress.  My ears beat like drums as he flipped my skirts up over my hips.

 

“There’s plenty I can do besides fucking you, sweetness.”  He slapped my ass and I gasped. His fingers traced over my wet slit through my drawers.  “Or fucking you there, at least.”

 

He unlaced my drawers and pulled them down roughly, and before I could lodge another protest his mouth was on my slit.

 

Oh goodness and grace above, was his mouth heaven on earth.  I may be damned to hell, if such a place exists, but when his plush lips sucked at my clit and his hot tongue pressed inside me for a taste, I would gladly sign my name in Lucifer’s book for that feeling.  I rocked against his face, pressing my own into the mattress to muffle my lewd whimpers.

 

He pulled away with a loud smack.  Ren licked his lips with deliciously obscene sounds of pleasure, as if he were at a feast.  “Oh, no, little one, I want to hear you. Every single cry is mine.” He lapped at me again, ardently.  “Beg for it, love. Sing.”

 

My eyes rolled back when his fingers slipped inside me.  One, then two. It was a tight fit, but I clenched down as his mouth worked miracles.  My hips rolled against his chin and strings of unknown vowels passed my lips in a crude, lascivious melody.

 

Then he removed the fingers and they pressed into a very different location.  My eyes opened in shock and I froze as he fingered the tight pucker of my ass.

 

“Shh, hush,” he cooed, “relax.  It will feel good.”

 

He made small little circles with his tongue on my clit that mirrored the finger on my ass.  I whimpered again, but gradually relaxed into his ministrations. Like a lamb following her dark shepherd.

 

Slowly, his finger entered me while attending to me with his mouth.  He nipped, and teased, sucked and bit, against the tender flesh of my cunt and clit until my legs were shaking and my thighs were drenched with my own desire.  I was a wanton mess, a willing slave.

 

“On your knees, precious,” he said, slapping my ass again.  I scrambled up to obey. My fried nerves sung as he began to stroke me again with his other hand, whilst his fingers stroked inside me.

 

I’d never imagined such a thing could feel so good.  Both, at once, so sinful and taboo, which heightened the feeling even more.  He’d been in my mouth and cunt, and now my ass. He’d marked every place for his own, filling me with his want.

 

The fingers on my clit stopped and moved away.  I was on the edge of passion, nearing a mindless animal, and I whimpered.  Fabric shuffled behind me.

 

“You, you’re not–”

 

“Hush, when I take you, I will make you beg me for it.”  I felt a velvet hot heat slip between my thighs and glide against my slit.  “This is just a taste.”

 

He stroked his prick against my sopping slit and closed my legs around him for a tighter fit.  His finger still stroked inside my ass and his other gripped my hip. He wasn’t taking my maidenhead, but I was willing to give him anything else he desired at that moment.

 

Ren began to thrust between my thighs.  Solid, heavy blows that jerked me on the bed.  I began to whine in time with his strokes as the shaft of his cock hit against my clit on every push.  I closed my eyes and lowered down to my elbows to rest my head on the mattress and arch my back for him.  A low whine rose from the back of my throat.

 

“That’s it.”  He slapped my ass.  “Crying on my cock. Your peachy cunt wants it so much it weeps for me.”

 

He picked up the pace, grunting and sinking into his own oblivion, too lost for his filthy and arrogant tongue to keep pace.

 

Ren began bucking and huffing like a bull and his hand on my hip roamed to rub against my clit again.  The steady contact was too much, and I came with a long wail, shuddering and gasping with his other finger still buried inside me.

 

When my back bowed finally in release, he grunted and pulled back to slap his wet skin until he spewed hot cum all over my bared ass.  Greedy palms rubbed into my skin before he even withdrew his finger from me.

 

“All mine, don’t you forget. Mine.”  He finally withdrew and I shuddered as his hot breath hit my cheek.  Dark whispers in my ear. “If anyone else touches you I will slit his throat.”

 

My eyes blinked open as my pulse pounded.  Just how dangerous was Mr. Ren? I had no desire to find out.

 

He kissed my cheek and fastened his pants and then disappeared into the bathroom.  I froze in place, his cum drying tight on my skin in the cool night air, unsure if I should move or not.

 

A whistled tune drifted out of the bathroom and he emerged with a smile, wiping his hands clean on a towel.  He sat next to me and the bed bounced. He began wiping my skin clean.

 

“How about a bite to eat?”

 

I stared at him dumbly.  It was the last thing I expected him to say.  “Would you like me to cook for you–”

 

He slapped my ass again and laughed.  “No, silly girl. I’m taking you out for a night on the town.”  He drew my drawers up and unfolded my skirts to cover them and helped me off the bed.

 

Solid arms wrapped around my back as he held me and kissed me on the mouth.  Golden eyes sparkled down at me like two merry flames.

 

“After all, we can stay out as late as we want.  Your Master isn’t coming back.”

  
  



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